Berlin: Police can secretly enter homes for state trojan installation (www.heise.de)
from schizoidman@lemmy.zip to privacy@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 01:03
https://lemmy.zip/post/54414796

cross-posted from: lemmy.zip/post/54414754

In order to monitor encrypted communication, investigators will in future, according to the Senate draft and the Änderungen der Abgeordneten, not only be allowed to hack IT systems but also to secretly enter suspects’ apartments.

If remote installation of the spyware is technically not possible, paragraph 26 explicitly allows investigators to “secretly enter and search premises” in order to gain access to IT systems. In fact, Berlin is thus legalizing – as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania did before – state intrusion into private apartments in order to physically install Trojans, for example via USB stick.

#privacy

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bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net on 06 Dec 01:05 next collapse

This has been happening in the US since 9/11 at least

solrize@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 01:17 next collapse

In the US it’s always been possible to do this with a proper warrant, though avoiding detection if the person expects something could be difficult. Security cameras and so on.

I’m not too bothered by this given how much work it is. They will only do it if there’s a criminal case or some other significant interest to work from. It’s not a tool of warrantless mass surveillance even though it’s been done abusively/illegally from time to time.

7bicycles@hexbear.net on 06 Dec 01:51 next collapse

They will only do it if there’s a criminal case or some other significant interest to work from.

Significant interest has, just to name a few, lead to german SWAT storming the wrong appartment because somebody who used to live there called a politician a wiener on facebook. And also locking down entire main train stations for hours on account of some guy or at best a “super recognizer” saw what looked like the AI aged version of an RAF member. Or confiscating literally every electronic from someone because they used chalk spray on something (which is not vandalism as ruled by many judgements because it just washes off).

reagansrottencorpse@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 15:03 collapse

RAF is based

birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 06 Dec 02:41 next collapse

Feeling like this is a gliding scale though. What’s next, a surveillance state?

solrize@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 02:58 collapse

I think those are two different things. They might do 1000s of secret break-ins per year, maybe 10,000’s. But probably not millions. OTOH, mass surveillance is used against just about everyone, i.e. billions. So the scale is different.

Here in the US, I suspect secret break-ins are rare, because they are risky (armed occupants etc). So they do SWAT raids instead. Abusive and too often fatal, but not that secret.

Bloomcole@lemmy.world on 06 Dec 11:50 collapse

Yes, the EU itself is working hard on the surveillance state separately.
Chat control being one of them

grey_maniac@lemmy.ca on 06 Dec 03:08 next collapse

Think about what we did in Ireland in the 80s. It’s no different, and it only worked marginally. Although that cpuld be because opsec was pretty good among the provisional IRA active cells.

solrize@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 03:15 collapse

Idk how stuff was done in Ireland but there weren’t so many computers then. It’s probably easier to install audio bugs than conduct an “evil maid attack” (infosec term for surreptitiously messing with someone’s computer, traditionally in the person’s hotel room) if they have taken any precautions.

eleitl@lemmy.zip on 06 Dec 15:41 next collapse

Yeah, it doesn’t scale. Most of the surveillance (legal intercept, SINA hardware on ISP) and injection of government malware will be through the hostile network. People who run a tight ship will have a small attack surface.

Burnoutdv@feddit.org on 06 Dec 15:42 next collapse

In theory a judge has to look through each surveillance act of the police in germoney, in 12 years not a single one got denied. Because its paperwork to defend civil rights but just nodding to whatever the officers say costs nothing

Fossifoo@hexbear.net on 06 Dec 17:25 collapse

I was under the impression that not only has this been the (German) law for decades, it used to be the only legal way of installing spyware and also exfiltrating data. But I can’t be assed to look it up.

helix@feddit.org on 06 Dec 01:39 next collapse

any site where I can download this cool spyware and run it so they don’t enter my home? Does it run on Arch Linux?

Wonder if they’d install it on all devices or only my desktop since I have all others with me at all times…

Zak@lemmy.world on 06 Dec 03:04 next collapse

I don’t have a problem with the police entering private homes and installing spyware when authorized by a court order supported by strong evidence. That’s narrowly focused on investigating crime.

What I’m very concerned about is attempts to perform surveillance without individualized suspicion or independent oversight.

evujumenuk@lemmy.world on 06 Dec 03:33 collapse

I think installing spyware on someone’s device is two or three steps more drastic a measure than a simple search, which is about the extent of what a court order can authorize police to do right now. It feels conceptually close to tampering with evidence present at a (possible) crime scene. To add to this, spyware is not the same thing as installing a physical listening device in someone’s home. It requires far-reaching permissions on a system, and can influence lots of other software on the same system. You’d have to have an extreme level of confidence that this won’t lead to accidental or intentional planting of incriminating material. And, in my opinion that sort of load-bearing trust is not really something law enforcement has earned in the general case.

RiverRock@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 04:41 next collapse

Something something european democracy something something bulwark against Russian Chinese authoritarianism, something something east german stasi

Such hollow, opportunistic rehtoric from people and governments who are doing the exact same things they accuse others of. Germany in particular, with it’s to-the-hilt support of Israel’s genocide, does not seem to have learned it’s lesson.

[deleted] on 06 Dec 15:36 next collapse

.

widowdoll@ttrpg.network on 07 Dec 04:57 collapse

National leaders only pretend to be opposed to each other.

In reality, they all know that their citizens are slaves to make them richer.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip on 06 Dec 11:31 next collapse

_

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip on 06 Dec 11:32 next collapse

That’s not a police job. Is german secret service entirely useless or what?

quick_snail@feddit.nl on 06 Dec 14:00 next collapse

The Stasi is back

yogthos@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 15:37 collapse

you mean the Gestapo since GDR was integrated into the west German model

quick_snail@feddit.nl on 06 Dec 14:02 next collapse

This is kinda silly. Most implants are installed by the NSA at the airport when you buy the device.

It’s much easier for them to install implants on devices at the time you order it than to break into your house.

Lowleekun@hexbear.net on 06 Dec 16:30 collapse

It is not silly, it is oppressive. Sure it is easier to install malware at the airport, but now they got “legal” ways of entering your apartment without your knowledge. This would make planting evidence so much easier. I am not saying we are at this point were the police plants evidence to get a case against someone but it is paving the road.

Why implement the law in the first place? Because it makes it easier for the people to live with the oppression. We sure like to believe we are free.

quick_snail@feddit.nl on 06 Dec 16:46 collapse

Sure, it’s bad. But it shows they’re inept.

It’s pretty damn hard to enter someone’s home without your knowledge, when so many homes and apartment buildings have cameras everywhere these days…

reagansrottencorpse@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 15:05 next collapse

You guys dont mind if the pigs install malware on your computer do you?

Agent641@lemmy.world on 06 Dec 15:28 collapse

If they can install it on TempleOS then more power to them.

unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 23:44 next collapse

Well, that sounds very undue-processy of them. Obviously what a same, civilized society would allow.

doomsdayrs@lemmy.ml on 06 Dec 23:53 next collapse

Hey wasn’t Germany a democracy and didn’t have Statsi?

termaxima@slrpnk.net on 07 Dec 01:11 next collapse

If I ever move to Germany I’ll remember to booby trap my doors and windows.

Chais@sh.itjust.works on 08 Dec 22:19 collapse

Go full Home Alone.

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml on 07 Dec 02:20 next collapse

Capitalism advanced towards end stage.

freedickpics@lemmy.ml on 07 Dec 23:34 next collapse

And I’m sure if citizens do anything to remove malware on their devices they’ll be criminally charged too 🤡

aurelar@lemmy.ml on 08 Dec 15:53 collapse

So, the German police are the Stasi?