Digital Rights, Surveillance and Democracy
About this programme
Intelligence and law enforcement agencies use digital technology and big data to increase security. But they inevitably interfere with basic rights, collecting and exchanging personal information and invading privacy. This weakens the confidence of citizens, businesses, and public authorities in the Internet, in encryption, and in politics. Thus, what is needed are constructive ideas on how government monitoring in a networked society can be effectively controlled, reasonably limited, and sufficiently documented.
Stay updated about our work on intelligence oversight by following our blog.
Working on this research Programme
Corbinian Ruckerbauer
Senior Policy Researcher Digital Rights, Surveillance and Democracy
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling
Lead Digital Rights, Surveillance and Democracy
Publications from this research programme
Algorithmische Aufklärung: Warum Nachrichtendienste rechtliche Leitplanken für automatisierte Datenanalysen brauchen
Corbinian Ruckerbauer, Lilly Goll
Informationsbeschaffung mit der Kreditkarte:
Wie nachrichtendienstliche Datenkäufe verfassungsrechtliche Mindeststandards unterlaufen
Corbinian Ruckerbauer, Dr. Thorsten Wetzling
Die Stärkung des Datenschutzbeauftragten als Schlüssel zu einer effektiveren Nachrichtendienstkontrolle
Corbinian Ruckerbauer
Other output on this programme
Iran's Use of Facial Recognition Software to Repress the Opposition
Corbinian Ruckerbauer
Preventing the weakening of oversight in the German intelligence law reform
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling
Wanted
A legal authority for data purchases by German security and intelligence agencies
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling, Svenja Efinger
Events on this programme
March 2026
Wednesday
25
09:00 - 10:30
(CET)
online
Panel Discussion
Panel at the Latin American Forum for Intelligence Studies
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling
February 2026
Thursday
26
14:00 - 15:00
(CET)
Past
Background Discussion
Germany’s Reform of Foreign & Military Intelligence
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling
November 2025
Thursday
06
18:30 - 20:00
(CET)
Past
Panel Discussion
Berlin Science Week: How AI challenges security policy and intelligence oversight
Dr. Thorsten Wetzling