# German intelligence agencies gain powers to hack foreign IT systems and recruit informants as young as 16

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/german-intelligence-agencies-gain-powers-to-hack-foreign-it-systems-and-recruit-informants-as-young-as-16/
- Published: 2026-11-13T23:53:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T00:22:43+00:00
- Original publisher: Meduza
- Original article: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/11/14/german-intelligence-agencies-gain-powers-to-hack-foreign-it-systems-and-recruit-informants-as-young-as-16
- Topics: Cybersecurity, Europe, Government, Politics, Technology, World

## Key points

- German intelligence agencies gain broader operational powers.
- Informants can be recruited from age 16.
- Former judges will review proposed measures.

## Summary

Germany’s parliament has approved a bill giving the country’s intelligence agencies wider powers to counter espionage, terrorism and sabotage. The changes affect the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Intelligence Service, amid official concerns about hybrid threats from Russia, China and Iran.

The agencies will be able to hack foreign IT systems and recruit informants from the age of 16. A special review body that includes former judges will assess whether proposed measures are legal before they are carried out. The article gives no further detail on how the new powers will be used.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.