Mass controls & Co.

Why the fight against terror lacks the necessary toughness

Austria is one of Europe's worst performers when it comes to monitoring messenger services.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Stock Adobe)

Following the attack in Villach, which left one dead (14) and several others seriously injured, the political debate about police powers is more topical than ever. The authorities are demanding more surveillance options from politicians in order to prevent such acts in the future.

The monitoring of messaging services such as Telegram, Signal and Whatsapp is central to this. Austria is at the bottom of the league in this area across Europe and relies on information from partner services. There is already a law in place that would allow the authorities to monitor messenger services. This could be passed in the next session of the National Council on February 26.