“The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe said cyber spying violated individuals’ right to privacy and could be used only in exceptional cases.”
Court President Hans-Juergen Papier said that using such software contravened rights enshrined in Germany’s constitution, adding that the decision would serve as a precedent across the country.
So.. STASI 2.0 has been averted for now.. or has it? It is still possible to tap a person’s computer by infecting it with a trojan horse… or to set up a “man-in-the-middle-attack” to get someone’s data straight out of his line. But court approval is needed now, putting it on the same level as wiretapping a telephone.
A small victory.. but one that gives me hope that there are a few people with a good sense (or a brain?) left in good old Germany (and they are in high positions, too)