BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s state and federal security officials have agreed upon new measures to strengthen their ability to fight terrorism and crime, including allowing authorities to monitor suspects’ use of WhatsApp and other messaging services.
The dpa news agency reported Wednesday that German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and his state counterparts agreed to broaden the current law governing authorities’ ability to monitor phones and text-messaging to include messaging apps, under the same restrictions.
To better track identities of asylum-seekers, they’ve agreed on lowering the age that migrants entering the country are fingerprinted, from 14 to 6.
They also agreed anyone identified as a member of the far-right Reichsbuerger movement will be prohibited from owning any weapons, and that states will track Islamic extremists using newly developed methods from Germany’s federal police.