The New BND Act

More Sabotage, More Surveillance, More Hacking

The Federal Intelligence Service (BND), founded in 1956, is facing the biggest reform in its history. The goal: to transform it from a defensive to an operational agency. The reason is the increased threat posed, among others, by Russia. However, the Chancellor’s Office also wants to reduce dependence on U.S. intelligence agencies. Until now, the BND was only allowed to gather and analyze information.

In the future, the BND is to be given significantly more leeway to act. This includes, for example, sabotage operations to weaken enemy forces, as well as monitoring internet traffic flowing from Germany to other countries. Data can be analyzed using artificial intelligence, and facial recognition software is to be deployed. The foreign intelligence service will also be permitted to engage in hacking, hackbacks, and cyberattacks. It will also be allowed to use “appropriate means” to defend against drones flying over its properties. In the future, the service will also be allowed to enter private residences to install surveillance equipment or to secretly tamper with and sabotage devices—such as weapon components—to render them harmless. Informants and spies abroad will also be permitted to commit certain criminal offenses.

There are concerns and reservations regarding the use of AI—but also regarding the potential use of the U.S. police software Palantir. This raises the risk that data could be transferred to the United States. This raises many questions for our experts regarding our future security!



EVENT PARTNER OF BERLIN FREEDOM WEEK

EVENT IN COOPERATION WITH THE GKND



PARTICIPANTS
Florian Flade, Investigative Journalist,
Bernd Palenda , Former Head of the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution

MODERATOR
Dr. Gerhard Conrad , Member of the GKND, former BND officer, authorTranslated with DeepL

Next date:

• Date Tuesday, 10/November/2026 19:00
• Venue Deutsches Spionagemuseum
• Address Leipziger Platz 9, 10117 Berlin-Mitte