Cyber security agency to check if government phones have been bugged.

Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has said it plans to scour the German parliament (Bundestag) of bugs or eavesdropping devices after getting the support of the parliamentary commission for ICT (IuK).

This move had earlier been rejected by parliamentary president Norbert Lammert who said he saw no reason for ‘defensive measures’ even after Germany squared off with America over the latter’s tapping of Chancellor Merkel’s calls. Not everyone agrees that there is no need for defensive measures though, as a German hacking group filed a joint complaint with the International League for Human Rights last month against the government for exposing the public to illegal mass electronic surveillance.

The agency said this is to ensure that parliament buildings and rooms are not being eavesdropped by foreign security services. In particular will be the use of landline phones and whether or not it is appropriate for MPs and their aides to use unsecure phones for their communications instead of encrypted handsets.