December 23, 2025, 7:32 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Hate postings, online fraud, and sexual offenses on the internet have been occupying law enforcement agencies for years. Now, the Federal Ministry of Justice is launching a new attempt to introduce the controversial data retention.
According to a draft law by Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD), telecommunications providers will be required to store IP addresses for three months. The document has been sent to other ministries for approval. As reported by “Bild” (like TECHBOOK, part of Axel Springer), the goal is to facilitate investigations of crimes in the digital realm.
IP Addresses as a Central Trace on the Internet
IP addresses indicate from which internet connection users access a website or send a message. Since these addresses change regularly with private connections, retroactive assignment is often difficult. In the future, providers are to store which connection used which IP address at a specific time. Additionally, other data necessary for a clear assignment should be secured.
Hubig argues that IP addresses are often the only usable trace on the internet. A time-limited storage could significantly help investigators to track digital traces later. The minister specifically mentions sexual offenses, online fraud, and hate crimes, where perpetrators have often remained unidentified.
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Old Dispute from the Coalition Agreement
The Union and SPD had agreed in the coalition agreement to introduce a three-month storage of IP addresses. Previous regulations on data retention have not been applied since 2017 due to legal disputes. During the time of the traffic light coalition, a new regulation failed mainly due to the resistance of the FDP, which opposed indiscriminate storage.
Data retention has been a political and legal point of contention for years. As early as 2010, the Federal Constitutional Court overturned a previous legal regulation. Hubig now emphasizes that her draft aims to protect privacy. The confidentiality of communication remains preserved, and movement or personality profiles are excluded.
Criticism from Data Protection Advocates and the Greens
The Greens in the Bundestag consider the plan illegal. Legal policy spokesman Helge Limburg speaks of a re-entry into indiscriminate mass surveillance on the internet. Instead, the coalition should seek more effective alternatives.
Also interesting: How Authorities Can Monitor Our Smartphones
Federal Data Protection Commissioner Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider has already warned against a new attempt. She told “Spiegel” that a rushed regulation that disregards legal requirements is likely to fail again before the Federal Constitutional Court.
Whether the draft law will overcome the political and legal hurdles remains open. What is certain is that the debate over data retention is entering a new round.