Overview

• Investigative reporting says numbers for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, cabinet members, agency heads and senior military figures appear for sale or lookup via commercial vendors.
• The BSI confirmed the listed number of its president, Claudia Plattner, is correct and current and said it is consulting with the BKA, ministries and affected parties on next steps.
• Officials identified in the reporting include Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger, Building Minister Verena Hubertz, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and parliamentary leader Jens Spahn.
• An Italian whistleblower alerted German authorities and some targets after finding active numbers with the same vendors, a tip that followed related findings that prompted inquiries in Italy.
• Federal data-protection chief Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider said she learned her number was exposed and urged tighter legal limits on data brokers, while the outlet declined to name specific vendors and the government press office would not discuss the chancellor’s communications for security reasons.