The federal intelligence (BND) must delete stored data via telephone calls abroad. As federal administrative Court in Leipzig has pointed out, necessary legal basis is missing for storage of data. That is why BND must refrain from practice.
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The Court thus held a complaint by Reporters without Borders and Berlin lawyer Niko Härting against BND analysis system Veras. The verdict is strictly speaking only for plaintiffs, but is a clear rejection of data collection of BND. The federal administrative Court was in final instance responsible for case. (AZ.: BVerwG 6 A 6.16 and BVerwG 6 a 7.16)
In system, BND has been storing connection data, so-called metadata, line-bound telephone calls with foreign countries since 2002. The contents of conversations are not affected. According to intelligence service, data is anonymized, as long as it is already referred to individuals, for example by telephone number.
The judges of Leipzig now emphasized that collection, storage and use of Telefoniemetadaten in telecommunications secrecy intervene. This applies “irrespective of anonymization made by BND prior to storage.” The collection and use of data is refore only permissible if it can be based on a legal basis. Such a foundation is missing.
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According to judgement of judges, so-called G10 law only permits storage for evaluation according to specific search terms, but not for a general analysis of connections. The law is named in accordance with article 10 of Basic Law, which regulates postal and telecommunications secrecy.
“Historical success” for plaintiff
Reporters Without Borders had argued that in many cases data could be individually measured in spite of anonymization. For example, metadata of telephone calls contains information about when and from which cell from which number was chosen. Because of ir numerous contacts abroad, both Reporters Without Borders and Härting assume that data is recorded by m in systems of BND.
“The verdict is a historic success for Reporters Without Borders, because we have managed to show limits to BND,” said Rog Managing director Christian Mihr. Or persons and organizations could now require BND not to store ir data.
The BND informed that decision of Court had been taken note of. A statement of reasons is not yet available. “It is evaluated upon receipt in due diligence,” it was said.
