5G Networks Will Make It Harder for Police to Monitor Criminals’ Mobile Phones

With the rollout of 5G technology, law enforcement agencies will lose the ability to wiretap the mobile devices of criminals, according to Catherine De Bolle, head of the European police agency Europol. De Bolle has appealed to EU leaders to increase funding and expand powers to combat tech-savvy criminals, as EU member states currently lack the technical means to bridge the gap created by the transition from 4G to 5G, reports Reuters.

Currently, law enforcement can wiretap and track criminals using mobile devices on 4G networks. However, with the switch to the next-generation standard, this capability will disappear. According to De Bolle, European law enforcement agencies were brought into discussions between tech companies and lawmakers about the 5G transition too late, and now they must look for alternative methods to minimize the impact on police surveillance capabilities.

“The biggest risk is that we don’t have enough information about technical developments, and we need to stay one step ahead. We need to understand what’s happening and respond accordingly,” De Bolle emphasized.

Europol, established in 1999, fights cross-border organized crime, terrorism, and cybercrime within the EU. The agency also serves as a platform for modernizing EU police forces to meet the challenges of the digital age. Based in The Hague, Europol employs around 900 staff members. Its budget for this year is €138 million, but by 2027, it is expected to double, mainly to upgrade the agency’s cyber capabilities.