Bavaria tests new police software with real data
The legal basis for regular use is still missing - but Bavaria has been testing its new police software with data from real people for months. Since March, the State Office of Criminal Investigation has also been using real data, for example from the Bavarian police's wanted persons database, the Ministry of the Interior announced in Munich on Thursday. However, the results are "not used for police purposes", but only for "internal testing of the application". Bayerischer Rundfunk had initially reported this.
In order to be able to use the "cross-procedural research and analysis platform" (VeRA) regularly in investigations, the state government actually wants to initiate an amendment to the Bavarian Police Duties Act. However, no draft has yet been presented. According to the Ministry of the Interior, this is not necessary for the test operation, said a spokesperson. The Bavarian Data Protection Act is sufficient.
The program from the controversial US manufacturer Palantir is intended to help Bavarian investigators to read various police data pools simultaneously and create links. Similar programs from the company are already in use in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. The Federal Ministry of the Interior rejected the use of the program in federal authorities in the summer, as did other federal states - despite a specially agreed purchase option.
The Ministry of the Interior ensured that the use of real data in the test operation of the new police software complies with the Bavarian Data Protection Act. To ensure data protection while using the Palantir program, the Ministry has implemented strict security measures.
Source: www.dpa.com
