Privacy boss slams German police's mobile tapping
A probe into mobile phone-tapping by German police during a demonstration in February has led to condemnation, after data protection authorities labelled the widespread interception of mobile traffic “disproportionate” and “illegal”.
Saxon Data Protection Officer Andreas Schurig reached his damning conclusions in a report (PDF file in German) published on Friday into police surveillance tactics at an anti-Nazi protest that took place on 19th February in the German city of Dresden.
Police and law enforcement agencies intercepted all mobile traffic over a period of several hours, from densely populated residential districts of the city. Data is believed to have included confidential conversations conducted by members of the public, including MPs and journalists. Interception of the mobile cells was considered by police to be a "standard investigative measure", but neither local prosecutors nor the police headquarters or the Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) had sought the advice of the Data Protection Commissioner for their action.
