Berlin
For years, Germany’s foreign intelligence service has been keeping files on journalists, a government report revealed. The BND, Germany’s version of the CIA, paid certain journalists to spy on their colleagues and find sources of leaks, the report said. The program started in the 1980s because of leaks about ineptitude in the BND itself. Some of the spies worked at Germany’s most prestigious publications, including the venerable magazine Der Spiegel. Germany’s parliament was already investigating the BND over allegations that two German spies in Baghdad gave information to the U.S. before the Iraq war; it will now also look at the new charges. “It is an incredible scandal,” said Hubert Burda, president of an association of newsmagazines. The government ordered the BND to halt the program.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of JulyCartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Crossword: July 5, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
