Transmitting digital evidence more quickly

Digital evidence is playing an increasingly important role in law enforcement. New regulations will enable investigating authorities to request electronic evidence more quickly and across national borders in future. The German law implementing the European Directive came into force on 18 August 2026.

Cross-border cooperation

In future, information can be requested directly from service providers in other Member States as part of investigations. In order to implement the European requirements, the Federal Government had drawn up a draft bill, which was passed in the Bundestag and approved by the Bundesrat.

This is the Federal Government's response to the growing role of digital media in the planning and execution of criminal offences, particularly in the context of cross-border crime. It means, for example, that chat histories, IP (Internet Protocol) addresses and e-mail content can be saved and disclosed more quickly and efficiently.