12 April 2021, Research news
News on our latest research
4 March 2021, Research news
Regulations on Electronic Ankle Tags in Line with German Basic Law
The statutory provisions on electronic monitoring of dangerous persons (“ankle tag”) are compatible with German Basic Law. This was made clear by the Federal Constitutional Court in its decision of 1 December 2020. This type of monitoring encroaches deeply on the right to informational self-determination and the overall personal rights of the persons concerned. However, since the restrictions ser…
15 December 2020, Research news
Crimes via Facebook & Co. now “Content-Oriented” instead of “Medium-Oriented” Offenses
The German Bundestag has passed a new law that replaces the term “material” in the German Criminal Code with the term “content.” The change reflects a move to recognize the changing communication and media landscape – particularly the shift away from paper and outdated media carriers to modern communication channels such as social media platforms and live streaming. With the implementation of the…
10 December 2020, Research news
“Alert Neighbors Deter Burglars”
Professional burglars quickly notice whether people in a residential area are on the alert or not. A virtual reality (VR) study conducted by criminologists at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law comes to this conclusion.
17 November 2020, Research news
“Your Data is in Demand” – How Scientific Organizations can Protect themselves against Espionage
Universities and other research institutions in Germany are not immune to espionage. But, they are often not even aware of the lurking danger. This has been revealed by a study carried out by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.
20 October 2020, Research news
Living Together and Living Safely in Times of Corona
On October 19, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law launched a survey of several thousand citizens in a total of 140 residential areas in Cologne and Essen. The research team headed by Professor Dietrich Oberwittler aims to gain new insights into coexistence and security in metropolitan residential areas and is asking the randomly selected residents to fill out a 12-p…
21 September 2020, Research news
Redefining Money Laundering
The Federal Ministry of Justice recently presented a new draft criminal law designed to better combat money laundering. While the draft met with approval on some fronts, numerous points of criticism were raised by money laundering investigators and private enterprise. In his response to the draft, Senior Researcher Benjamin Vogel criticizes the fact that the proposed reworking of the definition o…
15 June 2020, Research news
Yearbook Highlights of the Max Planck Society
Every year, the Max Planck Society presents a scientific activity report in the form of the Yearbook as an account to the public and its funding agencies. The focus is on the questions: Where do we stand and where do we want to go? 15 articles that are particularly suitable and interesting for a non-specialist audience make it into the Highlights issue. This year, a contribution from Freiburg is …
24 April 2020, Research news
Economic and Industrial Espionage
What distinguishes economic espionage from industrial espionage? What practical problems do affected companies face when they want to report actual or suspected espionage? These are just some of the questions raised by senior researcher Dr. Michael Kilchling in his article “Wirtschaftsspionage und Konkurrenzausspähung – Herausforderungen für Staat und Wirtschaft" [Economic and Industrial Espionag…
4 March 2020, Research news
New Areas of Interest, New Name
Following the appointment of three new directors, the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg is repositioning itself in the research landscape, a development reflected in its new name. From now on, this scientific institution will be known as the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law. Photo f.l.t.r.: Ralf Poscher | Tatjana Hörnle | Jea…
2 April 2019, Research news
Fear of Crime in Germany: Initial Results from the “German Victimization Survey 2017” Published
8 March 2019, Research news
German Child Marriage Law Sparks Criticism