The year 2017 was dominated by Germany’s federal elections in September and the preceding election campaign, which also made itself felt in some of the federal government's decisions on Internet policy shortly before the end of the eighteenth legislative term. But what was actually achieved in 2017 in Internet and digital policy in Germany?

DomainID: A solution to password fatigue & a boost to online privacy Social media accounts are becoming common identifiers for logging on to 3rd party websites. But what happens if you want to delete your Facebook account? Vittorio Bertola from Open-Xchange introduces a new framework for open online identities. Image ©...

Personally Identifiable Information, Blockchain, and Privacy: How anonymous is anonymized data? Data processing on a blockchain is widely perceived to be completely anonymous and therefore “immune” to data protection laws – which are applicable only for processing of personal data.Lawyers Natalie Eichler and Thorsten Jansen demonstrate some current and future applications of blockchain technology ...

Finland may be small, but it’s not slow.  Jani Moilanen, CEO of Herman IT, talks to dotmagazine about the Finnish cloud production hub, preparedness for the GDPR, and local ICT innovations. Image © Oksana_Gracheva | istockphoto.com

More information obligations for human resources managers as of May 2018 Best practices for data protection keep HR processes on the legally safe side When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25 May 2018, this will also have an impact on HR departments – by the May deadline at...

The EU General Data Protection Regulation for non-EU Companies For companies engaged in large-scale monitoring or dealing with sensitive personal data in Europe, getting to grips with the forthcoming GDPR will be on the top of their list of New Year's resolutions. Clarissa Benner, Attorney and Data Protection Specialist...

Data Protection legislation: The fine line between protection and incapacitating society Andreas Weiss, Director of EuroCloud Deutschland, looks at the ongoing debate on data protection and data security, cloud computing, and the impact of digitalization – and when too much defense hampers success. Image: © chombosan | istockphoto.com

On 11th December 2017, eco held a public consultation in Brussels on the draft "eco GDPR Domain Industry Playbook". Approximately 100 representatives of registries, registrars, the EU Commission, ICANN, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders attended the event either locally (approximately 30 attendees) or by...

Many American companies are still unaware of how the new EU General Data Protection Regulation will affect them. Data protection gurus Thomas Rickert from the eco Association & Christian Dawson from i2Coalition look at how two voices for the Internet are teaming up on GDPR, ICANN, and beyond to ensure that the Internet...

In several respects, 2017 was an extremely dynamic year for eco. Significant change has occurred, both within the association itself and externally on the strength on our work, not to mention the change occurring in the international field. Here I would like to take the opportunity to take stock and to provide a subjective review of the year. - by Harald A. Summa

Technical platforms based on blockchain will in particular support business applications and intermediary wants to create trust and process transactions. “New platforms are solving current problems in the areas of performance and scalability. So they will be able to take on more and more tasks in day-to-day business,” according to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Prinz, Vice Chair of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT in Sankt Augustin.

Although the European Court of Justice (EUCJ) declared as recently as December 2016 that blanket data retention without cause is incompatible with European fundamental rights, the EU Council has not deviated from its plans for European data retention. A paper already in circulation in the media shows just how concrete the...

dotmagazine explores Data Protection, GDPR readiness and Cyber Security this month A look at what’s involved in keeping your most valuable business assets – your ID, your finances, and customer data – safe and secure. Image: © Guschenkova | istockphoto.com

Ahead of today’s EU Internet Forum at ministerial level –which brings together Commissioners, Member States, Europol, and Internet companies to discuss developments in the fight against terrorist content on the Internet – and in the run-up to this week's conference of interior ministers in Leipzig, eco Board Member...

The end-user market may only recently be feeling the impact of Artificial Intelligence, but its technology has been benefiting digital companies for some years now. Companies that generate large amounts of data – e.g. through IoT solutions – stand to gain significantly from AI. dotmagazine audio interview with Rene Buest, Director of Technology Research at Arago, about the advantages of AI in enterprise solutions.

Image Zapp2Photo | iStockPhoto.com

How does a blockchain actually work? Stephan Zimprich, Leader of the Competence Group Blockchain in eco – Association of the Internet Industry, explains the key concepts and terms behind blockchain technology.

An overview of the history of Artificial Intelligence research, the current state of development, and the key advances in machine learning yet to come. Interview with AI specialist Reinhard Karger, from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence First published in German on the eco Audiomagazine on Artificial...

A crypto Trojan is stealing Bitcoin transactions from the clipboard and has already gifted its developers over $150,000. The experts from Kaspersky Lab have discovered a Trojan called "CryptoShuffler" that steals Bitcoins and other crypto currencies from the infected computer's clipboard. The amounts stolen thus far...

The eco / i2Coalition Member Value Package eco and i2Coalition have introduced joint membership offers for new members interested in joining both organizations. Membership benefits include policy work, access to industry best practice, and support in becoming compliant with relevant legislation. More information about...

The core elements required for bringing high-quality video content to a rapidly expanding global audience. The days when content providers simply offered linear television services are over. OTT (or Over The Top) video – along with games, news and events – has seen huge growth in recent years and now makes up more...

Use of the cloud is booming worldwide, and with this comes an abundance of cloud service providers and certifications. The current market is a jungle of offers and certifications. At the same time, new requirements are arising through the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation. As a result, the research project...

eco's monthly English-language in-depth magazine opens its call for contributions from eco member companies and specialists on the topics of the Digital Marketing, Mobility, and Risk Management & Insurance in the Digital World.

For the March 2018 issue focus topics will include Branding, SEO and Innovations in E-Commerce.

How many online gamers do you need to fill a network? What occurs when a dozen million gamers play simultaneously? And how do the challenges of gaming infrastructure mirror those of e-commerce platforms? dotmagazine interview with Emile Schouwstra, Chief Commercial Officer at i3D.net, on latency in a global gaming environment. Image: ©...

As the new Chairman of the Board at eco, a number of major tasks are in store for Olive Süme at the largest Internet industry association in Europe. He takes over the office from Prof. Michael Rotert, who chaired eco for 17 years. In a short interview, Oliver Süme provides an overview of the challenges awaiting him and...

Klaus Landefeld becomes Vice Chair of the Board Professor Dr. Norbert Pohlmann and Felix Höger confirmed as Board Members Changes to Articles of Association adopted, with expanded senior management and new Presidium from January Cologne, 27 November 2017 – Oliver Süme is the new Chairman of the Board at eco...

The German Industrial IoT market will more than double from its 2017 levels in the next four years, reaching a volume of around 16.8 billion Euro by 2022. This is a central finding of the study “The German Industrial IoT Market 2017-2022. Facts and Figures” by eco – Association of the Internet Industry and Arthur D. Little. This corresponds to a growth rate of around 19 percent per year.

In the past, the B2B industry has relied on advertising based on factual information and reasoned decision-making. But experts contend that advertising will only survive if it becomes entertaining. By using storytelling in its advertising, the software industry is acting as a pioneer in the B2B sector. © relif | istockphoto.com

The Annual General Meeting ICANN60, with around 1,900 participants, took place this year from 28 October to 3 November in Abu Dhabi. Anyone who thought that the ICANN Community would simply resume their normal business after the successful IANA transition has been proven wrong. One of the topics that determined the agenda-setting...

The email is more dynamic than ever and is an important element of the marketing mix. But some marketers unfortunately treat email marketing, privacy, and data security far too casually. This has ramifications not just for deliverability, but also for the company’s reputation. Furthermore, from May 2018, violations of...

The municipal Business Agency is inviting German ICT companies and multipliers to visit Vienna at the beginning of December. An interesting IT scene has developed there, as Werner Theiner, Head of the eco South Office, knows. In a short interview, he also reveals what awaits the participants in the metropolis on the Danube. Mr....