A YouGov survey commissioned by the eco Alliance shows that the majority of the population supports the expansion of data centres in Germany. The Alliance is calling for clear policy guidelines, better site policy and transparent planning.

eco and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany have criticised the planned amendment to the German Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG). They argue that a rigid operational PUE of 1.2 for data centres is impractical, jeopardises investment and weakens Germany as a digital business location.

What is intended as a harmless holiday memory can quickly become a risk: photos of children online can be saved, shared further and altered using AI for abusive purposes. In the “#ChildrenAreNotContent” webinar on 25 June 2026, the eco Complaints Office will explain what parents and professionals should bear in mind when sharing images.

At the latest meeting of the eco Security Competence Group, the focus was on cyber resilience, new regulatory requirements and the impact of increasingly professionalised cybercrime. Afterwards, we spoke to Merlin Stottmeister from Bechtle about current threats, AI-supported attacks and concrete measures towards greater digital resilience.

The 6th Data Centre Expert Summit 2026, held at area3 in Dreieich, brought together experts from the data centre industry, the energy sector, planning, network infrastructure, politics and public administration. The focus was on key questions relating to the further development of digital infrastructure. A review.

The Franco-German sovereignty criteria represent an important contribution for the European debate on the cloud, AI and digital infrastructures. From eco’s perspective, it is now crucial to closely align this initiative with the European Commission’s Tech Sovereignty Package and the planned Cloud and AI Development Act. Digital sovereignty must not be defined by blanket rules on country of origin or new barriers to market access, but must instead focus on security, data protection, transparency, the freedom to switch providers and high-performance infrastructure.

Following direct export controls imposed by the US government on AI software, Anthropic has blocked its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models worldwide. The eco Association has warned of risks to Europe’s cybersecurity: powerful AI models are vital tools for analysing vulnerabilities, detecting attacks more quickly and strengthening IT systems. Europe must build up its own capabilities in developing, operating and auditing such models.

With Dr Béla Waldhauser stepping back from active involvement, the eco Data Centre Competence Group is restructuring its leadership team. Going forward, Joachim Astel (noris network AG), Jens Leuchters (Global Switch), Anne Omar (FOGTEC) and Martin Zunken (Robert C. Spies) will jointly lead the Competence Group.

In light of the deliberations in the German Federal Council (Bundesrat), eco Association warns against a shift in security policy in digital domestic policy. In the association’s view, the planned IP address retention, expanded preservation orders, biometric Internet matching and cross-proceedings data analysis will result in more data retention, more data linking and a greater degree of intrusion.

With the AI Implementation Act, the German Bundestag is laying the groundwork for the national implementation of the European AI Regulation. eco Association welcomes the one-to-one transposition of the EU requirements and the central role of the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), but still sees a clear need for improvements in terms of coordination and enforceability. Without clear responsibilities and uniform enforcement practices, there is a risk of legal uncertainty, additional bureaucracy and barriers to investment for companies. It's now crucial that AI regulation is implemented in a practical, innovation-friendly and consistent manner across the country.

The winners of the eco Data Centre Award 2026 have been announced: at the awards ceremony on the eve of the Data Centre Expert Summit 2026, an independent six-member expert jury recognised innovative data centre projects and outstanding individuals in the data centre sector.

European companies want to grow through digitalisation, but there are still significant hurdles to implementation. A new FACIS survey of 800 industry decision-makers in Europe reveals that 92 % are planning new digital business models, yet challenges such as cybersecurity, costs and regulatory hurdles are holding back implementation.  

The draft act to amend the German Telecommunications Act (TKG) contains important measures to accelerate the rollout of fibre optic and mobile communications networks, according to eco Association. The association welcomes, among other things, the simplification of road-related procedures, improved participation rules along railway lines and better access to energy infrastructure. At the same time, eco warns against new data obligations, unclear procedures and additional bureaucracy. To turn the draft into a genuine acceleration act, eco is calling for shorter deadlines, more practical rules and greater investment certainty.

Grid connection is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in new data centre projects. Daniel Marhewka, a partner and Attorney-at-Law at Fieldfisher, outlines the legal hurdles involved and how greater planning certainty can be achieved.

Critical infrastructure such as data centres requires security concepts that go beyond traditional monitoring. In this interview, Georgij Sieloff, Executive Director of PSA Sicherheitsmanagement GmbH, explains why physical security, trained staff and measurable operational quality are crucial for resilient digital infrastructure.

Ahead of the planned presentation of the Cloud and AI Development Act, eco Association warns against blanket exclusion mechanisms for cloud and AI services. Digital sovereignty must not lead to protectionism, explains eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe. Transparent, proportionate and technically verifiable criteria are crucial.

In this eco interview, Tyson Barker of Christ & Company discusses digital sovereignty, technological resilience and the strategic importance of future technologies for Europe. The discussion also addresses the question of how companies can effectively contribute their technological expertise at the intersection of business, politics and regulation.

The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany has warned against regulatory missteps in the anticipated Tech Sovereignty Package. Europe needs faster approvals, predictable grid connections, and a practical labelling system in order to effectively expand AI, cloud and data centre capacities.

At the CENTR Jamboree in Berlin, Thomas Rickert, Director Names & Numbers at eco – Association of the Internet Industry, spoke with Fritz Diekmann, Business Development Manager at TLD-Box GmbH, about how the company supports applicants and operators in the next round of new gTLDs.

dotmagazine is an international online magazine covering Internet industry topics, featuring articles from members and partners. This issue explores how domains, DNS, email authentication, and digital sovereignty are becoming the infrastructure for trust online.  

eco has published its Annual Report 2025. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the eco Association’s work over the past year and highlights the political, economic and technological issues that have had a particular impact on the Internet industry. The focus is on key areas of action within the digital transformation.

Ahead of today’s Federal Cabinet meeting on the planned Cybersecurity Act, eco has warned against a dangerous expansion of state intervention powers in the digital sphere. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the draft marks a profound shift in the understanding of state cyber defence.

Cyber resilience is becoming a long-term priority for businesses: stolen login credentials, AI-powered attacks and the Cyber Resilience Act are increasing the pressure to act. At the recent Security CG meeting, the focus was on practical strategies for detecting attacks at an early stage, mitigating their impact and quickly restoring operations.

Germany’s digital future needs pioneers, and we have found them. On 6 June 2026, the eve of the 6th Data Centre Expert Summit, the eco Data Centre Award will once again shine a spotlight on groundbreaking innovations at area3 in Dreieich.

With the draft act for a law to strengthen civil and criminal law protection against digital violence, the German federal government is responding to new challenges. eco Association welcomes the initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) in principle – but warns that new powers of intervention must only be implemented with clear constitutional safeguards and practical guidelines.

On 19 May 2026, eco’s topDNS Initiative hosted the 13th in a series of topDNS Best Practice webinars, focusing on how trusted notifier approaches can contribute to more effective and scalable abuse handling across the Internet infrastructure ecosystem.

According to eco, the latest BKA German Cybercrime Situation Report 2025 confirms that the cyber threat situation remains serious. DDoS attacks, in particular, are on the rise. At the same time, the eco IT Security Survey 2026 reveals significant shortcomings in the IT emergency management of many companies.

The two-day Tech Show Frankfurt 2026: eco brought together the Internet industry with key partners, featuring engaging panel discussions and in-depth exchanges. The focus was on digital sovereignty, AI infrastructures, edge computing and the future of Germany as a data centre hub.

eco will be represented at OWF 2026. Sidonie Krug will host two sessions on digital transformation, the role of the digital economy as a driver of growth, and how Germany can create new value in the age of AI.

On 11 May 2026, eco’s topDNS Initiative, together with the Global Cyber Alliance and MANRS, hosted the 12th topDNS Best Practice webinar, focusing on Internet routing security as a critical but often overlooked enterprise supply chain risk.