Overview
- Germany’s cabinet approved the draft on Wednesday, sending the plan to the Bundestag for debate and a vote before any law can take effect.
- Internet providers would have to store all assigned IP addresses and port numbers for three months, with access for investigators only after an initial suspicion and without saving content or location data.
- The bill adds a Sicherungsanordnung that lets authorities order providers to secure extra traffic data for up to three months, with a judge able to extend once, and it eases cell-tower data queries for serious crimes.
- Ministers say the narrower design follows a 2024 EU court ruling that permits limited IP retention, while Greens, the German Bar Association and digital-rights groups argue the plan is disproportionate and likely to face court challenges.
- The proposal targets cases where dynamic IP logs vanish within days, yet VPNs, Tor, foreign services and the three-month window still limit tracing power, and providers warn of new costs and security obligations.