Germany’s cabinet has approved a draft law mandating internet providers to retain users’ IP addresses for three months, with the goal of strengthening online crime investigations while avoiding full-content data retention.

The compromise also envisions storing port numbers linked to a subscriber when necessary, but not storing content or precise location data, and it introduces a targeted, time-limited “safeguard order” for temporary traffic data when specific cases require it.

Law enforcement would gain expanded powers, including easier access to location data via cell-site analysis, while safeguards ensure data preservation is case-specific and proportionate.

Privacy advocates warn of potential rights erosion and a chilling effect on freedom of expression, though the Justice Ministry argues the measure is not a broad rights infringement.

The debate touches on related issues such as end-to-end encryption and targeted court-ordered data requests, highlighting broader surveillance questions.

Officials stress the safeguard order is not a blanket retention scheme; it is a targeted, temporary measure designed to prevent premature data deletion while assessing specific cases.

The bill clarifies that it targets metadata and tracing rather than private communications content or mass chats, reducing the risk of content surveillance.

The draft moves to the Bundestag for debate and potential passage, as lawmakers weigh security benefits against privacy and civil liberties concerns.

This proposal revives earlier attempts at traffic and location data retention, reflecting ongoing legal scrutiny and court rulings that shaped the current approach.

Critics note that a lack of data retention has pushed agencies to move faster in some investigations, and the new plan seeks to balance speed with privacy safeguards.

Opposition Greens warn the plan could face court challenges for potential violations of data protection laws.

Supporters argue IP-address data, when narrowly scoped and time-limited, can be constitutional in 2026 and help close dangerous gaps in cyberspace.