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After Berlin Blackout, Dobrindt Moves to Expand Powers as City Seeks Tighter Infrastructure Secrecy

Officials are pursuing a twin track that couples expanded digital authorities with a KRITIS law tightening operators’ security duties after an arson attack exposed gaps.

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors in Karlsruhe are leading the probe, with claim letters from a so‑called Vulkangruppe assessed as authentic but no public identifications of perpetrators.
  • Stromnetz Berlin says core repairs will take months, though provisional high‑voltage lines now stabilize power to the affected southwest districts.
  • Alexander Dobrindt vows more personnel for intelligence services and broader digital tools, citing IP‑address retention, lower thresholds for telecoms interception and a limited state trojan.
  • The government is pushing the KRITIS‑Dachgesetz to mandate stricter protection concepts, reporting duties and emergency planning for critical‑infrastructure operators.
  • Berlin’s interior senator Iris Spranger proposes restricting public access to sensitive infrastructure data, boosting civil‑protection funding and easing surveillance at critical sites, while cities urge a national blackout reserve.