(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s highest court ruled Friday that a law that gave systematic access by security agencies to a centralized anti-terror database is partially illegal.
The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe said that the widespread use of the stored personal data had been disproportionate.
Judges said the law must now be revised.
The anti-terror database was set up in 2007 by the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) and was later shared with police authorities and intelligence services of Germany’s federal and state governments.
The joint tool is intended to allow the rapid exchange of information to help prevent Islamist terrorist attacks.
