The Encryption Debate in Germany

Article

Since 1999, Germany’s government has strongly supported widespread, strong, and unregulated encryption. In 2014, the government reaffirmed and extended this political commitment when it announced its goal to become the global leader in adopting encryption. However, the government has simultaneously reserved the right to respond appropriately when encryption technology severely limits the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to do their jobs. Instead of focusing on regulating encryption itself, Germany has worked to enable its security agencies to conduct hacking. In this International Encryption Brief, Dr. Sven Herpig and Dr. Stefan Heumann describe and explain the German encryption policy.

Published by: 
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
May 30, 2019
Authors: 

Dr. Sven Herpig and Dr. Stefan Heumann

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