Data Protection Lawyers in Germany

The data protection legislation was enacted in Germany to provide a legal framework for the protection of the information given by natural persons and legal entities. It offers provisions of the security requirements which must be respected by various entities and it gives a clear understanding on the internet usage in this sense. Our data protection lawyers in Germany can offer legal assistance on the ways in which the provisions of the law are enforced here, as well as on the rights and obligations deriving from this law. 

Main laws for the protection of data in Germany 

The data protection in Germany aims at the control of the personal information of various categories of persons in the online environment. The main rule of law in this sense is the Federal Data Protection Act, which supplements the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) that replaced Directive 95/46/EC in May 2018. 

Further on, there are other related rules of law, as follows: 

• Digital Services Act (DDG, which replaced the Telemedia Act in May 2024) and the Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG), created for the protection of electronic information and various communication services available in Germany;

• Telecommunications Act, which refers to the protection of the personal data of the persons using telecommunication services;

• Criminal Code – it provides a section on the privacy of data in the business environment;

• Social Security Code – enabled to give a legal framework for the protection of data provided by Germans to the social security services and to medical institutions;

• State Press Law – created for the protection of data in the journalistic environment. 

The current Federal Data Protection Act has applied since 25 May 2018 (most recently amended in 2026), which included new rights for the natural persons living here. Our data protection lawyers in Germany can offer more details on the amendments. For example, the Act prescribes that companies may collect personal data only on a legal basis, such as the individual's consent, a contract, a legal obligation or legitimate interests. 

Personal data in Germany  

Those who want to relocate in Germany or to obtain the German residency must also find out details on the privacy regulations. For example, personal data has a broad meaning in Germany and it includes all the data which refer to the personal aspects of an individual. It is important to know that the personal data takes into consideration only natural persons, as legal entities are not included in this category. 

However, personal data law can be applicable to sole traders.  

We invite those interested in finding out more details on the data protection legislation to contact our data protection lawyers in Germany.