“Germany’s foreign intelligence service plans a major expansion of Internet surveillance despite deep unease over revelations of US online spying. The BND planned a 100 million euro ($130 million) programme over the next five years to expand web monitoring with up to 100 new staff members on a ‘technical reconnaissance’ team. The report came ahead of a state visit to Berlin by Barack Obama during which the German government has pledged to take up the controversy over the US phone and Internet surveillance programmes. The BND currently kept tabs on about five percent of emails, Internet calls and online chats while German law allowed up to 20 percent.”
