German court reigns in spook trojans

GERMANY'S high court has ruled that its security services will have to get a judges approval before spying on people's computers.

The spooks had been getting access to people's computers by sending trojan horses by email. They had been looking for terrorists.

Hans-Juergen Papier, president of Germany's high court, had decreed spooks couldn't use trojans willy nilly without offending the right to privacy enshrined in the country's constitution, the BBC reported.

It said that Peter Schaar, Germany's privacy commissioner, said the practice had been "further alarming step towards ever more sweeping surveillance".

Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble suggested the ruling might be incorporated into legislation, and would be examined closely. µ

L'Inq
BBC