Toggle navigation eco Press Releases Press Releases Press Distribution List Press DownloadsPress TextPhotographsLogosStudiesAnnual ReportsPortfolio Press Policy & Law Digital Policy Between Self-Discovery and Legacy Issues: eco Association Takes Stock of the German Federal Government’s First 100 Days The eco Association takes stock of digital policy after 100 days of the new German federal government. Although the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs has fulfilled a long-standing demand of the industry, many core digital projects have not yet crossed the starting line. eco sees urgent need for action, particularly in the areas of AI, data centres, administrative digitisation and data protection. eco also critically evaluates the plans for data retention in the new security package. date 2025/08/14 press Domains YouGov Survey by eco Association: More Than Half of Germans Find Local Domain Endings Useful In addition to well-known Internet endings such as “.de” and “.com”, there is now a wide range of abbreviations that web addresses can end with – and rightly so, as a recent YouGov survey commissioned by eco shows. More than half of Germans consider them to be useful. Thomas Rickert, Director Names & Numbers at eco, contextualises the results. date 2025/08/11 press Policy & Law Ruling on State Trojans: eco Welcomes Clarification by the German Federal Constitutional Court The German Federal Constitutional Court has declared key regulations concerning Lawful Interception at the Source (Quellen-TKÜ) and online state searches to be partially unconstitutional. eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld welcomes the decision but warns of unresolved risks for IT security. date 2025/08/11 press Policy & Law eco – Association After One Year of the AI Act: There Is A Lack of Legally Secure Framework Conditions And Political Will to Make AI "Made in Europe" A Success Story One year ago, on 1 August 2024, the European AI Act came into force – a historic milestone for the global regulation of artificial intelligence. Europe has thus set comprehensive standards. date 2025/07/31 press Policy & Law eco Association on the High-Tech Agenda eco – Association of the Internet Industry regards the High-Tech Agenda of the Federal Ministry of Education, Research, Technology and Space as an important step towards enabling digital innovations “made in Germany”. With this initiative, the German federal government is sending a strong signal for the country’s future viability and demonstrating its recognition of the importance of digital innovation. The Association particularly welcomes the fact that Artificial Intelligence is identified as the number one key technology in the agenda. date 2025/07/30 press KRITIS NIS 2 Cabinet Decision Is Here: Questions Remain The cabinet decision on the implementation of the NIS 2 Directive was announced today. This puts cybersecurity back on the political agenda – with tangible implications for companies in critical sectors. eco KRITIS expert Ulrich Plate explains the questions that remain unanswered in his latest assessment. date 2025/07/30 press Policy & Law Leaked German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) Draft Reveals Plans for Mass Surveillance – eco Warns Against Dismantling Constitutional Controls With the leaked draft of the "Security Package 2.0", the German Federal Ministry of the Interior is planning far-reaching digital surveillance powers – some of which would not be subject to judicial review. eco – Association of the Internet Industry warns against dismantling constitutional safeguards and calls for a reorientation in line with fundamental rights. date 2025/07/24 press E-Mail Focus on Email Security: Apply Now for the BSI Hall of Fame With the “Email Security Year 2025”, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), eco – Association of the Internet Industry, and Bitkom are sending a strong signal for secure digital communication. date 2025/07/22 press Policy & Law eco Industry Pulse: East-West Divide in AI Use – Unclear Legal Situation and Security Concerns Are the Biggest Hurdles for Companies Only 10% of respondents to the eco Industry Pulse – a recent survey of IT decision-makers* conducted by the market and opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry – believe that Germany is well prepared for upcoming AI developments. Germany also receives poor marks as a digital location: 72% of IT decision-makers in Germany rate the state of digital transformation as poor to very poor. One third even give it a grade of 6. date 2025/07/21 press Security Smartphones: A Holiday Hazard? eco Survey Reveals That One in Three People Do Not Protect Their Data eco warns: 27% of Germans do not secure their mobile phones when on holiday. Here are five simple tips to protect yourself against data theft, identity theft and other risks. date 2025/07/09 press Policy & Law Holiday Photos: Only 5 Per Cent Blur Children’s Faces The first federal states have already started their summer holidays and many families will be sharing their holiday experiences with friends and relatives via social media. But how conscious are parents and holidaymakers when it comes to sharing holiday photos? date 2025/07/08 press Datacenter Competitive Electricity Prices for Data Centres: eco Alliance Welcomes Initiative by Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany Lower electricity costs for data centres mean more growth potential for the German economy – it’s basically a simple calculation. It is good that Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, has recognised the potential of data centres for the German economy and brought it back onto the political agenda in the context of electricity price subsidies. date 2025/07/08 press Datacenter The Hessian Data Centre Strategy: A Blueprint for Germany The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, an initiative founded within the eco Association by operators of digital infrastructure ecosystems, welcomes the data centre strategy announced today for the German federal state of Hesse and calls for a similar approach at the federal level to strengthen... date 2025/07/04 press Datacenter Appeal to the German Federal Government: Include Data Centres in Electricity Tax Reduction After the leaders of the CDU/CSU and SPD postponed the reduction in electricity tax originally agreed in the coalition agreement, the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of the eco Association, appealed to the German Federal Government: date 2025/07/04 press Artificial Intelligence Start Signal for LEAM in the Rhenish Mining Area: Structural Change Meets AI In close cooperation with eco and the AI Federal Association, LEAM is launching one of the most ambitious innovation projects for digital structural change and European AI sovereignty in the Rhineland mining region today. date 2025/07/03 press Datacenter eco Alliance Calls for Industrial Electricity Price for Data Centres The eco Alliance welcomes the EU Commission’s intention to allow Member States to introduce an industrial electricity price. The initiative, founded by the eco Association, is now calling on the German federal government to act swiftly and include data centres in the electricity price compensation scheme, as announced in the coalition agreement. date 2025/06/26 press Policy & Law German Federal Government’s 2024 Take-Down Report: Hotlines Remain Indispensable – Decline in Case Numbers Not a Sign of All-Clear The German federal government reports 31,536 reports of child sexual abuse material in its latest evaluation report for 2024 – fewer than in the record year of 2023, but still significantly higher than in all previous years. The figures correspond to the latest reports from the eco Complaints Office. date 2025/06/18 press Datacenter Artificial Intelligence and Data Centres Go Hand in Hand With AI Gigafactories, the EU aims to catch up in AI development. At least one of the planned super data centres is supposed to be built in Germany — according to the federal government's goal. eco supports this initiative but warns of a bureaucratic obstacle hurdle. date 2025/06/10 press Security BKA Situation Report Confirms Urgent Need for Action: eco Calls for Consistent Cyber Resilience Strategies In view of the growing threat posed by ransomware, eco – Association of the Internet Industry is calling for the consistent implementation of “security by design” and a significant rethink of cyber resilience in companies. Although investigative authorities are doing valuable work in investigating cyber attacks, private... date 2025/06/05 press Policy & Law eco on the Investment Emergency Programme The planned tax relief measures are long overdue, but are an absolutely correct step to move Germany forward as a business location. In the currently strained economic situation, the draft legislation marks a decisive turning point to promote growth – regardless of whether it concerns a large corporation or a family business. date 2025/06/05 press Policy & Law Digital Tax Is a Serious Blow to Digitalisation in Germany and Transatlantic Relations The eco – Association of the Internet Industry has strongly criticised the initiative by Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer to introduce a digital tax in the form of a “platform solidarity levy”. date 2025/05/29 press Artificial Intelligence Association of the Internet Industry on Current Court Decision: Strengthen Legal Clarity – Think Digitalisation in European Terms From the perspective of eco Association, the recent court decision brings important clarity to a central debate concerning the use of personal data in the context of AI training. At the same time, the association emphasises that uniform European regulations remain essential to enable innovation in Europe. date 2025/05/28 press Security DIRECTIONS Research Project: First Voluntary Commitment to Protect Pupil Data Reaches Milestone The DIRECTIONS (Data Protection Certification for Educational Information Systems) research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has reached an important milestone: in May 2025, the first voluntary commitment to protect pupils' personal data will be published. More transparency... date 2025/05/16 press Security Buying Mother's Day Gifts Online: Beware of Nasty Surprises! Flowers, jewellery or small gifts: Mother's Day is approaching - and online retail is booming. But where the shopping mood is rising, risks are also lurking. eco Association of the Internet Industry warns: Fake shops are currently luring many buyers into their traps again - often through advertising on social networks. Too... date 2025/05/09 press Policy & Law eco Association on the Structure of the New Ministry of Digitalisation Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco, comments on the planned structure of the new Ministry of Digitalisation as outlined in the recently published organisational decree by the German federal government. Süme calls on the new federal government to quickly provide greater clarity regarding the subordinate agencies of this ministry and to consider data protection and data usage as interconnected issues. date 2025/05/08 press Policy & Law eco Association Congratulates the New German Federal Government – Swift Implementation of Digital Policy Projects Now Required eco congratulates the new German federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and welcomes the establishment of an independent Ministry of Digitalisation. However, what counts now is implementation: the first 100 days must deliver concrete progress. The eco Association identifies key areas for action and calls for cross-departmental action with priority on digitalisation. date 2025/05/07 press Datacenter Data Centre Sector in the Spotlight: eco Association Honours Outstanding Achievements in the Data Centre Industry First-ever presentation of the eco Data Center Awards Bernhard Huter honoured as Data Center Person of the Year Jury presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Peter Knapp JH-Computers GmbH and akquinet outsourcing gGmbH receive awards for most innovative data centre projects Mainz, 6 May 2025 – As part of this year’s... date 2025/05/06 press Policy & Law eco Association of the Internet Industry Presents Requirements for the Ministry of Digitalisation eco – Association of the Internet Industry congratulates the designated Minister of Digitalisation and State Modernisation, Dr. Karsten Wildberger. The German government’s announcement that it will create an independent “Ministry of Digitalisation and State Modernisation” is an important political signal for the digital transformation of Germany as a business location, according to eco Association. date 2025/04/29 press Security eco Association: Europe Urgently Needs A Successor for Stopped CVE Database Following the withdrawal of US funding, the CVE project faces shutdown – a serious blow to the global cybersecurity infrastructure. Klaus Landefeld, Member of the eco Board, warns of the consequences and calls for a swift, coordinated solution. date 2025/04/22 press IoT eco Association Calls for Smart Internet for Smart Industry Industrial IoT is an important growth market. To leverage this potential for Germany as a business location, a fast, reliable Internet is needed. eco – Association of the Internet Industry, therefore, demands that part of the €500 billion special fund for German infrastructure, established by the new German federal... date 2025/04/15 press
Policy & Law Digital Policy Between Self-Discovery and Legacy Issues: eco Association Takes Stock of the German Federal Government’s First 100 Days The eco Association takes stock of digital policy after 100 days of the new German federal government. Although the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs has fulfilled a long-standing demand of the industry, many core digital projects have not yet crossed the starting line. eco sees urgent need for action, particularly in the areas of AI, data centres, administrative digitisation and data protection. eco also critically evaluates the plans for data retention in the new security package. date 2025/08/14 press
Domains YouGov Survey by eco Association: More Than Half of Germans Find Local Domain Endings Useful In addition to well-known Internet endings such as “.de” and “.com”, there is now a wide range of abbreviations that web addresses can end with – and rightly so, as a recent YouGov survey commissioned by eco shows. More than half of Germans consider them to be useful. Thomas Rickert, Director Names & Numbers at eco, contextualises the results. date 2025/08/11 press
Policy & Law Ruling on State Trojans: eco Welcomes Clarification by the German Federal Constitutional Court The German Federal Constitutional Court has declared key regulations concerning Lawful Interception at the Source (Quellen-TKÜ) and online state searches to be partially unconstitutional. eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld welcomes the decision but warns of unresolved risks for IT security. date 2025/08/11 press
Policy & Law eco – Association After One Year of the AI Act: There Is A Lack of Legally Secure Framework Conditions And Political Will to Make AI "Made in Europe" A Success Story One year ago, on 1 August 2024, the European AI Act came into force – a historic milestone for the global regulation of artificial intelligence. Europe has thus set comprehensive standards. date 2025/07/31 press
Policy & Law eco Association on the High-Tech Agenda eco – Association of the Internet Industry regards the High-Tech Agenda of the Federal Ministry of Education, Research, Technology and Space as an important step towards enabling digital innovations “made in Germany”. With this initiative, the German federal government is sending a strong signal for the country’s future viability and demonstrating its recognition of the importance of digital innovation. The Association particularly welcomes the fact that Artificial Intelligence is identified as the number one key technology in the agenda. date 2025/07/30 press
KRITIS NIS 2 Cabinet Decision Is Here: Questions Remain The cabinet decision on the implementation of the NIS 2 Directive was announced today. This puts cybersecurity back on the political agenda – with tangible implications for companies in critical sectors. eco KRITIS expert Ulrich Plate explains the questions that remain unanswered in his latest assessment. date 2025/07/30 press
Policy & Law Leaked German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) Draft Reveals Plans for Mass Surveillance – eco Warns Against Dismantling Constitutional Controls With the leaked draft of the "Security Package 2.0", the German Federal Ministry of the Interior is planning far-reaching digital surveillance powers – some of which would not be subject to judicial review. eco – Association of the Internet Industry warns against dismantling constitutional safeguards and calls for a reorientation in line with fundamental rights. date 2025/07/24 press
E-Mail Focus on Email Security: Apply Now for the BSI Hall of Fame With the “Email Security Year 2025”, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), eco – Association of the Internet Industry, and Bitkom are sending a strong signal for secure digital communication. date 2025/07/22 press
Policy & Law eco Industry Pulse: East-West Divide in AI Use – Unclear Legal Situation and Security Concerns Are the Biggest Hurdles for Companies Only 10% of respondents to the eco Industry Pulse – a recent survey of IT decision-makers* conducted by the market and opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry – believe that Germany is well prepared for upcoming AI developments. Germany also receives poor marks as a digital location: 72% of IT decision-makers in Germany rate the state of digital transformation as poor to very poor. One third even give it a grade of 6. date 2025/07/21 press
Security Smartphones: A Holiday Hazard? eco Survey Reveals That One in Three People Do Not Protect Their Data eco warns: 27% of Germans do not secure their mobile phones when on holiday. Here are five simple tips to protect yourself against data theft, identity theft and other risks. date 2025/07/09 press
Policy & Law Holiday Photos: Only 5 Per Cent Blur Children’s Faces The first federal states have already started their summer holidays and many families will be sharing their holiday experiences with friends and relatives via social media. But how conscious are parents and holidaymakers when it comes to sharing holiday photos? date 2025/07/08 press
Datacenter Competitive Electricity Prices for Data Centres: eco Alliance Welcomes Initiative by Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany Lower electricity costs for data centres mean more growth potential for the German economy – it’s basically a simple calculation. It is good that Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, has recognised the potential of data centres for the German economy and brought it back onto the political agenda in the context of electricity price subsidies. date 2025/07/08 press
Datacenter The Hessian Data Centre Strategy: A Blueprint for Germany The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, an initiative founded within the eco Association by operators of digital infrastructure ecosystems, welcomes the data centre strategy announced today for the German federal state of Hesse and calls for a similar approach at the federal level to strengthen... date 2025/07/04 press
Datacenter Appeal to the German Federal Government: Include Data Centres in Electricity Tax Reduction After the leaders of the CDU/CSU and SPD postponed the reduction in electricity tax originally agreed in the coalition agreement, the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of the eco Association, appealed to the German Federal Government: date 2025/07/04 press
Artificial Intelligence Start Signal for LEAM in the Rhenish Mining Area: Structural Change Meets AI In close cooperation with eco and the AI Federal Association, LEAM is launching one of the most ambitious innovation projects for digital structural change and European AI sovereignty in the Rhineland mining region today. date 2025/07/03 press
Datacenter eco Alliance Calls for Industrial Electricity Price for Data Centres The eco Alliance welcomes the EU Commission’s intention to allow Member States to introduce an industrial electricity price. The initiative, founded by the eco Association, is now calling on the German federal government to act swiftly and include data centres in the electricity price compensation scheme, as announced in the coalition agreement. date 2025/06/26 press
Policy & Law German Federal Government’s 2024 Take-Down Report: Hotlines Remain Indispensable – Decline in Case Numbers Not a Sign of All-Clear The German federal government reports 31,536 reports of child sexual abuse material in its latest evaluation report for 2024 – fewer than in the record year of 2023, but still significantly higher than in all previous years. The figures correspond to the latest reports from the eco Complaints Office. date 2025/06/18 press
Datacenter Artificial Intelligence and Data Centres Go Hand in Hand With AI Gigafactories, the EU aims to catch up in AI development. At least one of the planned super data centres is supposed to be built in Germany — according to the federal government's goal. eco supports this initiative but warns of a bureaucratic obstacle hurdle. date 2025/06/10 press
Security BKA Situation Report Confirms Urgent Need for Action: eco Calls for Consistent Cyber Resilience Strategies In view of the growing threat posed by ransomware, eco – Association of the Internet Industry is calling for the consistent implementation of “security by design” and a significant rethink of cyber resilience in companies. Although investigative authorities are doing valuable work in investigating cyber attacks, private... date 2025/06/05 press
Policy & Law eco on the Investment Emergency Programme The planned tax relief measures are long overdue, but are an absolutely correct step to move Germany forward as a business location. In the currently strained economic situation, the draft legislation marks a decisive turning point to promote growth – regardless of whether it concerns a large corporation or a family business. date 2025/06/05 press
Policy & Law Digital Tax Is a Serious Blow to Digitalisation in Germany and Transatlantic Relations The eco – Association of the Internet Industry has strongly criticised the initiative by Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer to introduce a digital tax in the form of a “platform solidarity levy”. date 2025/05/29 press
Artificial Intelligence Association of the Internet Industry on Current Court Decision: Strengthen Legal Clarity – Think Digitalisation in European Terms From the perspective of eco Association, the recent court decision brings important clarity to a central debate concerning the use of personal data in the context of AI training. At the same time, the association emphasises that uniform European regulations remain essential to enable innovation in Europe. date 2025/05/28 press
Security DIRECTIONS Research Project: First Voluntary Commitment to Protect Pupil Data Reaches Milestone The DIRECTIONS (Data Protection Certification for Educational Information Systems) research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has reached an important milestone: in May 2025, the first voluntary commitment to protect pupils' personal data will be published. More transparency... date 2025/05/16 press
Security Buying Mother's Day Gifts Online: Beware of Nasty Surprises! Flowers, jewellery or small gifts: Mother's Day is approaching - and online retail is booming. But where the shopping mood is rising, risks are also lurking. eco Association of the Internet Industry warns: Fake shops are currently luring many buyers into their traps again - often through advertising on social networks. Too... date 2025/05/09 press
Policy & Law eco Association on the Structure of the New Ministry of Digitalisation Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco, comments on the planned structure of the new Ministry of Digitalisation as outlined in the recently published organisational decree by the German federal government. Süme calls on the new federal government to quickly provide greater clarity regarding the subordinate agencies of this ministry and to consider data protection and data usage as interconnected issues. date 2025/05/08 press
Policy & Law eco Association Congratulates the New German Federal Government – Swift Implementation of Digital Policy Projects Now Required eco congratulates the new German federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and welcomes the establishment of an independent Ministry of Digitalisation. However, what counts now is implementation: the first 100 days must deliver concrete progress. The eco Association identifies key areas for action and calls for cross-departmental action with priority on digitalisation. date 2025/05/07 press
Datacenter Data Centre Sector in the Spotlight: eco Association Honours Outstanding Achievements in the Data Centre Industry First-ever presentation of the eco Data Center Awards Bernhard Huter honoured as Data Center Person of the Year Jury presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Peter Knapp JH-Computers GmbH and akquinet outsourcing gGmbH receive awards for most innovative data centre projects Mainz, 6 May 2025 – As part of this year’s... date 2025/05/06 press
Policy & Law eco Association of the Internet Industry Presents Requirements for the Ministry of Digitalisation eco – Association of the Internet Industry congratulates the designated Minister of Digitalisation and State Modernisation, Dr. Karsten Wildberger. The German government’s announcement that it will create an independent “Ministry of Digitalisation and State Modernisation” is an important political signal for the digital transformation of Germany as a business location, according to eco Association. date 2025/04/29 press
Security eco Association: Europe Urgently Needs A Successor for Stopped CVE Database Following the withdrawal of US funding, the CVE project faces shutdown – a serious blow to the global cybersecurity infrastructure. Klaus Landefeld, Member of the eco Board, warns of the consequences and calls for a swift, coordinated solution. date 2025/04/22 press
IoT eco Association Calls for Smart Internet for Smart Industry Industrial IoT is an important growth market. To leverage this potential for Germany as a business location, a fast, reliable Internet is needed. eco – Association of the Internet Industry, therefore, demands that part of the €500 billion special fund for German infrastructure, established by the new German federal... date 2025/04/15 press
