FutureWatch: Germans Sweep Parliament for Bugs and Tapped Phones

The German parliament building may be soon checked for bugs and eavesdropping landlines to ensure privacy. Berlin is ramping up security amid a scandal over electronic surveillance by the US National Security Agency.

A plan to secure the Bundestag complex was prepared by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and approved by the IuK, the parliamentary commission on information technology and communications, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Monday citing its sources. It is to be presented to MPs later this week.

One of the prime areas of interest for the BSI is posed by supposedly secure rooms, which are meant to be used for negotiations of officials related to confidential matters. The office wants to ensure that they are actually free of bugs, the report says.

They also want to check landlines in the building, because they can be used for remote eavesdropping on the parliament. (more)

The amazing part of the story is that TSCM inspections are apparently not routine.