The automotive industry opposes a federal reform that would grant German intelligence agencies broad access to vehicle data. Hildegard Müller, President of the VDA, stresses that any new powers must be proportionate and legally secure, and warns against indiscriminate data collection.

The draft law expands the roles of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Intelligence Service beyond pure intelligence into operational use. It obliges manufacturers and workshops to hand over “telemetry data” when requested, a move that VDA and ZDK find too vague and far‑reaching.

Small workshops, according to ZDK President Thomas Peckruhn, lack the staff and resources to process intelligence requests lawfully. Both associations demand clearer rules, insisting that direct vehicle access be rejected for security reasons.

The government justifies the changes by citing rising threats and the need for Germany to act proactively. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Chancellery Head Nina Warken argue that German services must keep pace with European partners.