Photo Gallery Germany's Digital Divide
Google's Street View service has sparked controversy in Germany because of data privacy concerns. So far, several thousand German citizens have written to Google to object to the publication of their data.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Cebit computer fair on March 1: The German government appears unsure how to deal with data privacy issues.
German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner is insisting that Google should ask permission before violating the privacy of German citizens.
German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberg, a member of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), is opposed to a law requiring telecommunications companies to retain data from telephone, email and Internet traffic. The law was introduced by her predecessor Brigitte Zypries.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière recently invited Web activists, bloggers and experts to his ministry for a three-hour exchange of views. "The relationship between the government and Internet users is impaired, and I intend to fix it," he promised.
