Germany discloses data over “silent SMS” use for surveillance

The German government has released statistics on the use of silent SMS, with data suggesting that reliance on this digital surveillance method is declining.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior released the statistics after previously classifying digital surveillance data as secret, Heise.de reports.

The ministry breaks the silence in response to an inquiry from the Left Party faction, which aims to bring more transparency to digital surveillance.

Silent SMS, also known as stealth SMS or SMS Type 0, is a special text message whose receipt is not displayed on the target phone.

While the receiver isn’t notified about the message, the sender – police or intelligence agencies – can use it to determine the approximate location and create movement profiles of the targeted person.

According to the data, the Federal Police sent 6,605 silent SMS during criminal investigations in the second half of 2025, compared with 47,951 SMS in 2021.

This suggests a change in digital surveillance methods, as data about the use of more modern and capable instruments remains undisclosed, according to Heise.de.

While the silent SMS method often assists law enforcement and intelligence agencies in their investigations, it can also be used by cybercriminals.

According to the Canadian Center for Cybersecurity, threat actors use silent SMS with international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers, which are a type of cell site simulator.

This forces the phone to transmit its current metadata and identifiers, allowing the IMSI catcher to confirm the target’s presence or location. Moreover, the method can be used to eavesdrop on and collect information from calls and SMS messages.

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