Rostock public prosecutor’s office and Schwerin Criminal Investigation Department searched premises belonging to an association on 10 November 2026 in Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt in Rostock. The search is linked to an investigation into the dangerous dissemination of personal data under Section 126a of the German Criminal Code. According to the authorities, the publications disclosed photos and private information about plain-clothes officers in the police force’s state security division. The public prosecutor’s office is conducting the investigation jointly with Rostock Police Headquarters.
According to a joint statement from the public prosecutor’s office and police, the information in question had, on the basis of current findings, already been disseminated online in spring 2025 . The images reportedly showed plain-clothes officers from the police state security division; personal details were also made public. Investigators are examining who was responsible for this outing and whether any offences beyond the dissemination of data were committed. They are also assessing whether those affected faced a specific threat. The authorities gave no information about possible suspects.
The legislator introduced Section 126a of the German Criminal Code in 2021 in response to cases in which personal data is published in a way that could intimidate or endanger those concerned. The legal assessment hinges on whether the information disclosed is particularly sensitive and whether its dissemination creates a specific danger to the people affected. In the case of Rostock , the investigation is focusing on the source, scope and channels through which the data was disseminated, as well as the number of police employees affected.
The authorities stressed that the investigation is ongoing. Rostock Police Headquarters gave no details about the material seized or possible motives. No statements from those affected had been made available initially. What is clear is that making private information about plain-clothes officers public can hamper police operations and affect officers’ personal safety. Analysis of the evidence gathered during the search is expected to establish whether the publications created specific risks and who is responsible.
Cases involving the publication of data and data protection breaches have been closely monitored in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for years. Authorities regularly point to their duty to protect those affected and to preventive measures intended to reduce the risk of misuse and the unauthorised disclosure of personal information.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).