Federal government plans to store IP addresses: Controversies and criticism!

Federal government plans to store IP addresses: Controversies and criticism!

In Germany there is an important new regulation regarding the storage of IP addresses by Internet providers. Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) plans for this data to be stored for three months in the future in order to advance criminal investigations more efficiently. The goal? Improved detection of online crime, particularly child pornography, online fraud and criminal hate online. This is reported by the South German newspaper.

IP addresses are often the only digital traces a perpetrator leaves behind. The new regulation also stipulates that Internet providers store which Internet connection an IP address was assigned to at a certain point in time. Hubig emphasizes that the confidentiality of communication and the creation of movement and personality profiles should be taken into account when storing data. A thought game that also attracts many critics.

Criticism and concerns

The federal government's plans are met with strong resistance. The Greens consider the approach to IP address storage to be unlawful and warn against a return to mass surveillance. Helge Limburg, the Green Party's legal policy spokesman, expresses concerns: "The problem is not the lack of data, but the lack of well-trained investigators." This was also supported by left-wing politician Clara Bünger, who noted that the quality of investigative work must be promoted instead of investing in mass surveillance. The plan is not only amateurish, but also dangerous for the basic rights of citizens, Limburg continued.

In addition, Christian Dürr, the FDP leader, expresses sharp criticism of the new regulations and describes them as unworthy of a constitutional state. Meanwhile, the police union is also on the list of supporters, but speaks of the three-month period for storage being too short. Here it becomes clear that even among supporters there are different views regarding effectiveness and urgency.

The path to the Bundestag

Another aspect of the discussion is the consent process. The draft law is to be sent to the other ministries for a vote on Friday, such as the ZDFheute reported. The planned adoption is scheduled to take place in the Bundestag next spring. It is important to note that the old regulation on data retention has no longer been valid since 2017 due to legal uncertainties, which makes the current efforts appear all the more urgent.

The ongoing discussions about IP address storage reflect the tension between security and data protection. It remains to be seen how events will develop and what compromises will ultimately be found in order to both increase security and take into account the fundamental rights of citizens. The upcoming Bundestag has a central role to play here, and the public debates surrounding the topic show that a comprehensive dialogue is necessary.