German police can read WhatsApp messages without breaking encryption

German criminal investigators and customs officers have adopted a procedure that exploits the multi-device feature of apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. By obtaining a short-term physical access to a suspect’s phone, they scan the QR code and attach a police workstation to the desktop client, gaining full read-only access to the account. The method requires no special hacking tools and lets officials browse historic chats, contacts and live messages unnoticed.

The Federal Court this year imposed stricter statutory conditions for this form of monitoring, yet the Interior Ministry refused to reveal usage frequencies, citing operational security. Agencies such as the BKA and the ZKA have reportedly incorporated the approach into standard investigative toolkits, claiming it has yielded significant results against organized crime. Legal scholars argue the practice amounts to a special form of electronic search that should be subject to tighter safeguards.