The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information

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Security law

In the past two decades, police and security agencies have expanded their powers to collect personal data. At this point we would like to give a more comprehensive view of the activities of the German authorities.

The SIS is an IT system with a database. It is used for the exchange of information. Users are, for example, foreigners, police and judicial authorities in the Schengen States and diplomatic missions or consular posts. More: Schengen Information System (SIS)

civil servant holds passport in hand and with the other hand he types on a keyboard (refer to: Schengen Information System (SIS))

The Federal Police performs a wide range of law enforcement tasks and is endowed with extensive powers to collect and process data. More: The German Federal Police

Airport baggage check and a federal police officer is pictured with his back (refer to: The German Federal Police)

Airlines store various information about passengers. This concerns information collected in an airline’s or travel agent’s reservation systems when booking a journey. These records are stored as Passenger Name Records (PNR). More: Passenger Name Records

Sky with clouds and an airplane symbol in a circle and around it travel symbols are shown (refer to: Passenger Name Records)

The Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigations is better known under its abbreviation “FIU”. It handles a large number of suspicious transaction reports concerning money laundering, terrorist financing and other criminal offences, and processes a large amount of personal data. More: The Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigations – FIU

various european banknotes are hung on a line with a clothespin (refer to: The Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigations – FIU)

The task of the Customs Investigation Service is to combat customs crime. For criminal prosecution, this service may therefore collect various personal data and intervene widely in informational self-determination. More: Customs Investigation Service

two customs officers from behind and on the back view of the service uniform is the inscription customs (refer to: Customs Investigation Service)