Germany spyware: Minister calls for probe of state use-gctid46004

[Ajamu]

BBC News - Germany spyware: Minister calls for probe of state use

                                                                 

Germany has strict laws about spying on citizens  
             
                       Germany's  justice minister has called for a national and state level probe into  the use of controversial computer software to spy on people.

         The German state of Bavaria has admitted using the spyware, but claimed it had acted within the law.

         Three other states have also confirmed they have used spyware  in order to investigate serious criminal offences, a German newspaper  reports.

         Use of the software was exposed by a German hacker group.

         The Berlin-based Chaos Computer Club (CCC) said it had analysed a "lawful interception" malware programme called Federal Trojan, used by the German police force.

         They found that, once installed, the programme allows its  operators to monitor exactly what the user is looking at - from which  websites they have visited, to the emails they send and receive and the  calls made through Skype.

         "The malware cannot only siphon away intimate data but also  offers a remote control or backdoor functionality for uploading and  executing arbitrary other programs," the group wrote on its website.

         The program, it said, had "significant design and  implementation flaws", which made "all of the functionality available to  anyone on the internet".

Strong feelings

           The CCC had analysed a laptop allegedly belonging to a man  accused of illegally exporting pharmaceuticals. His lawyer claims the  Trojan program was installed on his client's computer when it passed  through airport customs.

         Bavaria Interior Minister Joachim Herrman has confirmed that  state officials have been using the software since 2009 - though he made  no mention of any specific incidents - and insisted that they had acted  within the law. However, he promised a review of the software's use.

         The Deutsche Welle newspaper  reported on Tuesday that three other states - Baden-Wurttemberg,  Brandenburg and Lower Saxony had confirmed using spyware, although it is  not clear if all four states had used the same software.

         Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has  called on the federal and state governments to launch an investigation  into the matter.

"Trying to play down or trivialise the matter won't do," she  said. "The citizen, in both the public and private spheres, must be  protected from snooping through strict state control mechanisms."

         The BBC's Stephen Evans says the incident has sparked a row  because Germans, given the country's Nazi and Communist past, feel  strongly about spying on citizens. Germany's constitution stipulates  strict protection against it, he adds.