The terrorist threat in Europe

Secret service specialist Andreas Förster comments on the German Interior Minister's calls for intensified monitoring of the Internet in the battle against terrorism. "For a long time now the Germans have not been alone in monitoring the Internet. Their Western partners have been using this strategy for years. ... But the current campaign to increase security in Germany is less about determining the potential of individual proposals, and more about convincing the public that increased surveillance means increased protection against terrorists and criminals. Once people are convinced, it will be easier to push new security laws through parliament. These laws will also serve to legitimise investigation methods that have been in practice illegally for years, and enable information gained using these methods to be used in court."

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