Germany’s parliament approves intelligence cyber-counterattacks
The reform also permits intelligence agencies to enter homes and business premises covertly under certain conditions, while barring force against people.
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The reform also permits intelligence agencies to enter homes and business premises covertly under certain conditions, while barring force against people.
Germany’s parliament approved an intelligence reform on 13 November 2026 that allows its foreign intelligence agency to counter cyberattacks by foreign powers. Measures could include deleting or manipulating data, disabling systems and, if necessary, destroying physical weapons such as drones that could be deployed against Germany.
The agencies may also enter homes and business premises covertly under certain conditions, including to prepare surveillance operations, but may not use force against people, DW said. Bitkom, an organization representing businesses, said the reform gives the services operational powers for the first time, particularly in cyberspace.
The government said the bill also aimed to implement Federal Constitutional Court requirements and address gaps in protection, including through narrowly defined intervention powers.
The Federal Intelligence Service, known as the BND, handles foreign intelligence. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is the domestic service responsible for countering espionage and sabotage.
The government described the intervention powers as limited to narrowly defined danger situations. It said the BND could respond directly to imminent dangers discovered during intelligence gathering and act proactively against threats in a specific threat situation involving foreign powers.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Germany should be prepared to strike back at attackers' digital infrastructure, servers and software. His plans passed with votes from the governing Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union and Social Democratic Party.
The reform would expand the existing Independent Control Council rather than simply create a new oversight body. It would bring together advance reviews of intelligence orders, including some previously handled by the G 10 Commission, and take over administrative data-protection supervision from the federal data-protection commissioner.
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