A Dubious Deal with the NSA

Internal documents show that Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, received the coveted software program XKeyscore from the NSA – and promised data from Germany in return.

It shows for the first time what Germany’s domestic intelligence agency promised their American counterparts in exchange for the use of the coveted software program. "The BfV will: To the maximum extent possible share all data relevant to NSA's mission," the paper reads. Such was the arrangement: data in exchange for software.

Neither Germany’s data protection commissioner nor the Parliamentary Control Panel, which is responsible for oversight of the BfV, has been fully informed about the deal.