Privacy Debate Runs Hot in Germany
Ten years ago, Germany introduced a highly controversial eavesdropping law, which was later overturned by the courts. A decade later, however, advocates argue people’s right to privacy is continuing to be eroded. The German “Eavesdropping Law” was passed by parliament on Jan. 16, 1998, amid a huge public outcry over concerns that people’s private sphere was being invaded. The law allowed authorities to secretly plant bugs and microphones inside people’s homes — a domain which was previously seen as inviolable under the country’s constitution.