Germany's federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled the Telecommunications Act unconstitutional as it violates citizens' rights to phone and internet privacy. The ruling stems from two lawsuits that claimed law enforcement was given access to personal data, including password and PIN numbers, in "relatively minor investigations." Under current law, police were able to obtain data without a judge's approval from telecom companies, hospitals and hotels. "Police should only be allowed such access if there was a specific danger or suspicion of a crime," the court wrote. The government must revise the act by the end of 2021.
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