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| 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.
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