Jurisdiction-specific data protection, defamation law, and removal process information for Germany. Last reviewed 2025.
Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI) at federal level, with 16 state Datenschutzbehörden is the supervisory authority for data protection in Germany. Individuals can file erasure and data-related complaints directly with this authority.
GDPR (EU 2016/679) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG 2018)
Germany's data protection framework is among the strictest in Europe. The BDSG supplements GDPR with additional requirements. German DPAs have levied substantial fines â Deutsche Wohnen was fined â¬14.5 million in a landmark 2019 GDPR case.
German defamation law (Beleidigung, üble Nachrede, Verleumdung) is codified in §§ 185-187 of the Criminal Code (StGB). Online defamation is a criminal offence. Germany's Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) requires platforms with over one million users to remove clearly unlawful content within 24 hours.
Germany's NetzDG created a fast-track removal mechanism. Google's EU legal team handles delisting requests. German courts are receptive to interim injunctions (einstweilige Verfügungen) for content removal â often granted within days in urgent cases.
Common German sources requiring removal include Spiegel Online, Focus.de, Bild.de, Zeit.de, Handelsblatt, t-online.de, Golem.de, and regional portals such as Welt.de.
Germany's NetzDG means platforms often pre-emptively remove content when served with a properly formatted cease-and-desist letter (Abmahnung), making legal notice the most cost-effective first step for unlawful content.