Bundeskartellamt and Federal Office for Information Security extend cooperation in digital consumer protection

The Bundeskartellamt and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) have extended their cooperation in the area of digital consumer protection. Since 2021 the two authorities have pooled their expertise for the benefit of consumers. Apart from maintaining a close dialogue, they assist each other in fulfilling their consumer protection-related tasks – for example, the BSI carried out a technical analysis alongside the Bundeskartellamt’s sectector inquiry into messenger and video servicesor inquiry into messenger and video services. The cooperation has now been extended for another three years. Claudia Plattner, President of the BSI, and Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, have signed a declaration of intent to this effect.

Since 2017 the Bundeskartellamt has exercised competences in the area of economic consumer protection. It conducts sector inquiries where there is a reasonable suspicion that consumer law provisions have been severely violated. Here the focus is on issues which affect consumers’ daily lives. The Bundeskartellamt has so far conducted sector inquiries into comparison websites, smart TVs, online user reviews, mobile apps and messenger and video services. An investigation into scoring in the online retail sector is ongoing.

The BSI is the national cyber security authority which ensures secure digitalisation in Germany. It protects public authorities, private businesses and citizens from cyber threats – through information and awareness-raising campaigns or consulting for different target groups. Consumers are provided with recommendations on how to use digital products and services safely. The BSI also assists other players in the area of consumer protection in enforcing consumers’ security interests against manufacturers and service providers.

The cooperation between the two authorities is conducted in compliance with the legal requirements, the duty to protect official secrets, business and trade secrets, as well as data protection provisions.