Baden-Württemberg: New law strengthens video surveillance for more security!

Baden-Württemberg: New law strengthens video surveillance for more security!

The green-black state government in Baden-Württemberg today passed a significant change to the data protection law that strengthens video surveillance in public spaces. This package of measures aims to facilitate the capture and storage of video recordings and to extend the retention periods. Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) explained that many municipalities expressed the desire for more video protection. This is a further step towards greater security in cities.

A central point of the new regulation is the simplified priority check, which enables a balance between the need for security and the invasion of privacy. The protection of life, health and freedom at protected objects is anchored in law as an important public interest. Constitutional protection officers in Baden-Württemberg also have the authority to request recordings from private video operators. This particularly affects publicly accessible facilities such as gas stations or underground car parks, while private video recordings are not the focus.

Expansion of powers

An additional focus is on supporting the security authorities in order to clarify contact networks in the Islamist spectrum. This new authority is part of a comprehensive legislative package to improve security in the region. In addition, an amendment to the Police Act was also passed that allows the use of the data analysis software Palantir.

As part of these reforms, a new disaster protection law will also come into force that will strengthen volunteer helpers. The flat rate for volunteers increases from 130 to 180 euros, making volunteering more attractive. Spontaneous helpers can also count on compensation and accident insurance coverage in the future. In the event of a disaster, the state covers all costs for support from volunteers and invests around 2.2 million euros in a disaster relief camp to provide the important equipment.

Data protection and video surveillance

Video surveillance remains a critical issue in data protection. How bfdi.de reports, the trend towards expanding video surveillance in Germany continues unabated. Intelligent systems are increasingly being used in government surveillance measures, for example for automatic facial matching. Private video surveillance has also increased immensely. It is not only limited to shopping centers, but also creeps into the everyday lives of citizens.

However, video surveillance is critical in terms of data protection because it encroaches on personal rights. High legal requirements are necessary to protect the fundamental rights of citizens. Whether in public spaces or at the workplace, video surveillance must always be justified and proportionate. What is particularly important here is the reference to monitoring, which must be clearly visible. bussgeldkatalog.org highlights that recorded data must be deleted immediately when no longer needed.

In summary, it can be said that the new legislation in Baden-Württemberg puts the security aspect in the foreground and at the same time cannot lose sight of data protection. It remains exciting to see what the implementation of these regulations looks like in practice and whether citizens will perceive the measures as an improvement in their protection.