Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 27, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Prof. Michael Rotert, Chairman of the Board of eco, comments:
“Politicians must not now return to business as usual and begin looking tomorrow for clever ways to circumvent the verdict from Karlsruhe. Respect for the highest court alone demands this, but even more so does a look at the risks of this investigative method, which is rightly highly controversial. At stake is not least Internet users’ trust in using the Internet and New Media, and therefore also the acceptance of e-business, e-health and e-government applications.”
From a technical perspective, an online search is nothing other than successful hacking. The state exploits existing security vulnerabilities in suspects’ programs in order to infiltrate the surveillance software (“federal Trojan”). It therefore exposes itself to the suspicion that it keeps its knowledge of these security vulnerabilities secret and thus also puts innocent Internet users at risk. Users’ trust in authorities’ online applications, such as the ELSTER electronic tax return, also declines if there is reason to fear that such applications could be used for online searches.
The Internet industry is also affected, says Michael Rotert: “If the provider of a suspect is ‘searched’ in this way, it has to fear considerable damage to its image. And rightly so. Online services are, as it were, the nerve fibres of the information society. Security and trust in the use of these services are indispensable, not only for the economic success of our industry, but also for that of our customers.
It would be reckless and irresponsible to put this at risk for what are supposedly only ten planned online searches per year. I therefore appeal to the interior ministers of the federal and state governments to put their plans for online searches on ice for the time being.”
In particular, the “spying attacks” by the “federal Trojan” must not be directed against providers. As suppliers of important infrastructure, they must ensure the integrity of their systems at all times. “Hacking” providers is neither necessary nor justifiable, because the economic damage from a crisis of confidence triggered by an online search would be enormous for both providers and their customers.
Further information:
- eco
