SURVEILLANCE

German government to use Trojan spyware to monitor citizens

Intelligence agencies in Germany can now use malware to track computers of people under suspicion. The Trojan will be able to track user chats and conversations on smartphones and PCs.

A spokesman for the German interior ministry announced on Monday that the government had approved the usage of Trojans to monitor suspected citizens.

The interior ministry spokesman defended the government's decision, saying "basically we now have the skills in an area where we did not have this kind of skill." The program was already endorsed by members of the government in autumn 2015, the ministry said.

Trojans are software programs, also known as malware, specially designed to get into users' computers. They are often used by hackers and thieves to gain access to somebody else's data.

In order to use the malware, government officials will have to get a court order, allowing authorities to hack into a citizen's system.

The new software will be able to monitor users' activities in real time

The approval will help officials get access to the suspect's personal computer, laptop and smartphone. Once the spyware installs itself on the suspect's device, it can skim data on the computer's hard drive and monitor ongoing chats and conversations.

Members of the Green party protested the launching of the Trojan, with the party's deputy head Konstantin von Notz saying, "We do understand the needs of security officials, but still, in a country under the rule of law, the means don't justify the end."