The Bundesrat of Germany will soon be introduced to a new IT law (German) drafted by the Federal Ministry of Interior. The law will allow the police to demand suspects to provide their credentials necessary to allow access personal accounts on social media, messengers, phones, and all other extensions of the virtual identity of suspects.
The draft has some problematic areas. For example, it goes against the constitution which has some measures against self-incrimination. Some politicians and legal experts suggest that the law will attack civil rights. If the legislation passes in its current form, people could be arrested for simply refusing to give their passwords and other sensitive information.
So far, Germany does not have any laws that require suspects to surrender their personal information. Privacy is one of the things that German citizens still have. However, this law is considered by many to be a direct attack on freedom.
Accessing all communications
We should remember that the current draft of the law is only an early iteration of an idea. The reasoning behind it is understandable in the current climate. The internet is not just Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit. There is a whole area of the dark web where people communicate anonymously without being spied on.
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Interior did not release any official statements regarding the contents of the draft. However, it already gained traction. People are discussing this idea. Many libertarians are understandably upset with this draft that gives more power to the government while simultaneously attacking privacy.
Note that Europe, in general, is less tolerant of the freedom provided by most of the internet. Article 13 is one of several examples of how the European Union sees the internet.
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