In a statement made in Berlin, the Data Protection Officer warned that the planned expansion of the BND’s powers could lead to a significant imbalance detrimental to citizens and the rule of law. Under the proposed legislation, the Data Protection Officer would lose oversight authority over the BND, with the Independent Control Council assuming this responsibility. This council currently evaluates the BND’s intelligence operations. The report, cited by ZDF, highlights the potential for citizens to have limited knowledge of how their data is processed by intelligence and security agencies. This news was broadcast on May 7, 2026, by Deutschlandfunk.