Germany’s domestic intelligence chief has been defending the halted treason charges which were controversially brought against Netzpolitik reporters. In what was seen as an attack on press freedom in the post-Snowden world Netzpolitik was to be investigated to ensure “the fight against extremism and terrorism” after publishing “classified” documents. In his interview with the German weekly Bild am Sonntag, domestic intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maaßen (pictured above) defended the criminal charges against Netzpolitik reporters Andre Meister, Markus Beckedahl and an “unknown source”. The charges relate to two articles in which they published quotes from a highly confidential parliamentary committee report on a new unit to collect mass data from social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube . The “Extended Specialist Support Internet” unit, funded by a secret €2.75 million budget, was to have 75 dedicated operatives spying on online chats. Deutsche Welle reports the president of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said that “to continue
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