Austria's government agrees: Messenger monitoring will start soon!

Austria's government agrees: Messenger monitoring will start soon!

After intensive negotiations, the Austrian federal government has agreed on a regulation for the monitoring of messenger services. This agreement is described as a significant step forward in the fight against terrorism. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) described the decision as a “milestone in countering terrorism in Austria”. The measures are particularly aimed at specific threats, especially crisis cases where security and public order are at stake.

The new regulation stipulates that the monitoring of messenger services may only take place following the order of a three-judge panel and under the supervision of a legal protection officer. In the future, this person will have twelve weeks to check the proposed software, instead of the previous two weeks. In addition, for over 30 use cases per year, special reports must be prepared by the responsible investigative committee.

Requirements and regulations

The conditions for monitoring are deliberately narrow. Security authorities may only resort to surveillance if it is absolutely necessary for the investigation. A review is also ensured by a legal protection officer who is supposed to ensure that abuse, for example against journalists or other critical voices, is punished with harsh penalties. The requirements include, among other things, that the crime must be punished with a prison sentence of at least ten years.

The legal basis for monitoring should be decided in plenary session before the summer. Internal experts from home and abroad are involved in the technical implementation. Care is taken to ensure that the monitoring software is programmed exclusively for messenger services and does not collect any other private data.

Criticism and security concerns

Despite these security measures, there is a wide range of criticism from the opposition. Representatives of the NEOS, FPÖ and the Greens expressed concerns and pointed out that the measure could not meet the requirements of the constitution. NEOS club chairman Yannick Shetty emphasized that the original ministerial draft was constitutionally questionable. The data protection officer epicenter.works also expressed doubts about the constitutionality of the draft law.

A whistleblower platform for the State Security Intelligence Service Directorate should also be set up in order to identify potential abuse at an early stage. The penalties for abuse of office should also be tightened in order to hold officials accountable in the event of misconduct. It is planned that the penalty for abuse will be significantly increased in two years.

With this agreement, the governing parties want to create a set of rules that will give security authorities more access to communications data, while at the same time protecting individual fundamental rights. However, the federal government must continue to ensure that the measures are implemented effectively without unnecessarily endangering citizens' rights.

5min reported on the results of the Council of Ministers, during The press the backgrounds illuminated and courier summarizes the safety aspects and concerns.