Policy & Law

eco Board Member on the Cyberattack Against Berlin: “The State Must Not Exempt Itself from Cybersecurity Requirements”

The August cyberattack on parts of Berlin’s state administration network and the publication of the stolen data on 4 September demonstrate, in the view of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, how dangerous differing security standards for the public and private sectors can be.

date 2026/09/08

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Policy & Law

eco Firmly Rejects SPD Proposal for an AI Tax: “AI must not put Germany at a competitive disadvantage”

At its closed-door meeting today, the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag intends to adopt new guidelines on the use of AI in the workplace. Among other things, it plans to impose higher taxes on productivity gains from AI and on large technology companies.

date 2026/09/04

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Policy & Law

eco ahead of the cabinet retreat: removing barriers to investment in Germany

eco is calling for concrete measures at the cabinet retreat to boost competitiveness and technological sovereignty – with better investment conditions for digital infrastructure, less bureaucracy and practical AI rules to unlock 96 billion Euro in value creation potential in industry.

date 2026/08/21

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Policy & Law

BND Reform: Vulnerabilities Must Not Become a Tool for Intelligence Service Access

eco has warned of new cyber risks arising from the BND reform and has criticised, in particular, the handling of vulnerabilities, the role of the BSI and the BND’s expanded powers to intervene within Germany. The association is calling for tighter legal limits and effective independent prior scrutiny – particularly in relation to automated and AI-supported measures.

date 2026/08/12

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Policy & Law

Deepfakes: Majority Expect to Be Deceived by AI Manipulation

55 per cent believe they are likely to be deceived by deepfakes or other AI manipulation within the next five years   28 per cent expect damaging or abusive AI content to be created about them   eco calls for clear rules, understandable labelling and better awareness-raising  Berlin, 5 August 2026 – Fifty-five...

date 2026/08/12

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Policy & Law

eco on Prien’s Plans for a National Social Media Law: No Temporary Regulatory Patchwork

eco has warned against a German transitional regulation on the protection of minors on social media and is calling for uniform European guidelines based on the Digital Services Act.

date 2026/08/11

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Policy & Law

Transparency Obligations for Artificial Intelligence Commence Amid Regulatory Uncertainty

From 2 August, new transparency obligations will apply to AI applications and AI-generated content. eco calls for clear technical standards and consistent implementation of the AI Act across Europe.

date 2026/07/31

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Policy & Law

eco Is a Partner of the German “Wallet-Ready?! Initiative

Against the backdrop of the upcoming introduction of European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI wallets), leading associations, federations, institutions and subject matter experts in Germany have come together in the voluntary “Wallet-ready?! Initiative.

date 2026/07/29

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Policy & Law

eco on the announced appointment of Gitta Connemann to the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation

Commenting on the announced appointment of Gitta Connemann as Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation, Alexander Rabe, Managing Director of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, stated:

date 2026/07/28

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Policy & Law

eco Criticises France’s Social Media Ban: European Solutions Rather Than a National Patchwork

eco notes with concern that, despite indications to the contrary last week, France has now become the first European country to introduce a general minimum age of 15 for the use of social media.

date 2026/07/23

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Policy & Law

Only 13 Days Until They Apply: eco Warns Against Flying Blind on AI Transparency Obligations

The European Commission has published its final guidelines on transparency obligations under the AI Act only 13 days before they come into application − far too late. Companies now have to analyse complex requirements, adapt internal processes and implement technical solutions within a very short period of time.

date 2026/07/21

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Policy & Law

European Solutions Instead of National Patchworks: eco Calls for Coherent Youth Media Protection

The European Commission today published the final report of its expert group on the protection of minors in the digital environment. The report contains recommendations for the future design of the European legal framework, including a minimum age of 13 for the use of social media and risk-based, graduated access to digital services.

date 2026/07/15

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Policy & Law

Trusted Flagger: eco – Association of the Internet Industry Calls for Practical EU Guidelines in the Fight Against Illegal Online Content

The European Commission is driving forward the implementation of the Trusted Flagger mechanism enshrined in the Digital Services Act (DSA). In a position paper published on 7 July 2026, eco – Association of the Internet Industry generally welcomes the draft guidelines, but calls for targeted improvements.

date 2026/07/13

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Policy & Law

eco on German Cybersecurity Policy: Association Warns of Attack on Digital Civil Liberties

With a new position paper on current cybersecurity policy, eco – Association of the Internet Industry warns against the increasing tightening of security-policy interventions in the digital sphere.

date 2026/07/08

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Policy & Law

Conference of Economic Ministers Must Act

Ahead of the Conference of Economic Ministers on 1 and 2 July in Konstanz, eco – Association of the Internet Industry – is calling for a clear commitment to expanding data centres, cloud and AI infrastructure in Germany.

date 2026/07/01

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