Germany
Information law threatens press freedomPosted May 14 2009
A group of journalists, doctors and lawyers filed a petition in Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court against the country’s so-called “Big Brother Law,” which went into effect Jan. 1.
The law, officially called the Law on the Defense against the Dangers of International Terrorism through the Federal Criminal Police, or the BKA law by its German initials, gives new powers to authorities conducting investigations. This includes the right to secret, remote searches of computers and mobile phones. Germany’s Ministry of the Interior says the law is necessary to protect against terrorism.
This law “is one in a series of so-called security laws that have one thing in common: They endanger the freedom of the press and especially investigative journalism,” Wolfgang Krach, managing editor of the influential daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, told Germany’s Der Spiegel.
“This is not a case of a profession selfishly looking for extra privileges. Rather, journalists want to be conferred the rights guaranteed them by the constitution and to be able to fulfill their role unhindered,” Krach said.
The law removes journalists, lawyers and doctors from the list of professions with right of counsel when authorities deem there is a “public interest” in finding out information. The change removes the standard of probable cause, and, for journalists, this could make sources unwilling to talk for fear or retribution if the journalists’ files were cracked.
More information
- International Press Institute
- Spiegel Online