Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Intelligence agency

Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution  link () Website
Formation	7 November 1950
Headquarters	Germany
German intelligence agency

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (German: Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV) is the federal domestic intelligence agency of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Official narrative

Together with the Landesämter für Verfassungsschutz (LfV) at the state level, the office is tasked with intelligence-gathering on threats concerning the democratic order, the existence and security of the federation or one of its states, and the peaceful coexistence of peoples; with counter-intelligence; and with protective security and counter-sabotage. The BfV reports to the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Fake social media

In 2022, the Office revealed that it operates hundreds of fake social media accounts that are classified as right-wing extremists. "This is the future of information gathering," said an unnamed head of a relevant state office to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. According to research by the newspaper, the authority has invested heavily in "virtual agents" since 2019, which it finances with taxpayers' money. They also keep an eye on, and presumably also runs fake accounts, of left-wing extremist, Islamist and "conspiracy ideological" scene.

The employees of the Office are likely to conduct "propaganda" for this and sometimes also commit crimes such as "incitement to hatred". "In order to be really credible, it is not enough to share or like what others say, you also have to make statements yourself. That means that the agents also bully and agitate," says the report of an agent who claims to have come to the authority out of idealism. She wanted to "do something against right-wing extremists". Of course she encourages people in their worldview, but it's her job to "feed" the scene. There are now so many fake accounts operated by the authority that nationwide agreements are necessary. Otherwise, they could target each other.

Firing people

Full article: Berufsverbot

The BfV was an important tool in the domestic policy of all previous governments. In the mid-50s it helped to ban the Communist Party; in the 60s it worked with intelligence operations and agent-provocateurs against the youth movement. At the beginning of the 70s it helped the brandt government to implement "professional bans": 3.5 million applicants for civil service were audited, 11,000 applicants were banned from work as civil servants, including as academics and teachers. There were unofficial disciplinary procedures and dismissals, too. From 2021, the government said that belief in "conspiracy ideologies" would disqualify people from public positions.

NSU affair

Full articles: Document:The Deep State: Germany, Immigration, and the National Socialist Underground

Zersetzung

In 2023, Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser intended to pass a law that would allow the domestic intelligence service to denounce citizens critical of the government in their social environment, what technique which in East Germany was known as Zersetzung. The new power would give the agency the right to warn any citizens and institutions about people that are under BfV observation. All that is needed is an assessment, which does not require any proof that a danger could come from these people. The person concerned would not have to be informed about the denounciation. As Norbert Haering pointed out, "At some point, when first the bank account, then the mobile phone contract has been terminated, he or she is rejected by clubs and potential landlords, and employers and customers suddenly stay away or cancel orders, he or she will wonder that something like this could be going on in the background".