Blockchain

eco on Blockchain Strategy: “German Federal Government Paves Way for Legally-Secure Foundational Technology of the Future”

eco regards the German federal government's blockchain strategy, adopted today by the federal cabinet, as an important step for the foundational technology of the future. With its white paper "Blockchain for SMEs", eco presents a guideline for small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to implement blockchain projects in their own operations.

date 2019/09/18

press

Law & Regulation

German Federal Government Publishes Take-Down Success for Online CSAM in 2018: Complaint Offices Are Indispensable

The German Federal Government published an evaluation report on the deletion of online CSAM content for the year 2018 in September. In 2018, a total of 5,951 reports of child sexual abuse material were statistically recorded by the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), 82 percent of which were hosted abroad.

date 2019/09/16

press

© eco - Association of the Internet Industry

Law & Regulation

eco: European Court of Justice Issues a Rebuff to German Ancillary Copyright

With today's decision, the EUCJ has declared German ancillary copyright law for press publishers to be inapplicable. The Court thus drew a line under the years of debate and numerous court proceedings. From the very outset, eco criticized German ancillary copyright, stating that, “Introducing ancillary copyright in Germany was a misguided political decision.”

date 2019/09/12

press

eco

The Service-Meister Project is Successful in the BMWi AI Innovation Competition

The eco Association will lead the consortium to develop Service-Meister. The Service-Meister Project has been chosen for sponsorship within the scope of the AI Innovation Competition of the German Federal Government. A panel of experts of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has awarded funding to the industrial project, which is based on artificial intelligence (AI).

date 2019/09/10

press

Law & Regulation

eco: Criticism of European Copyright Directive Continues Unabated

The new copyright law remains controversial. The EU Member States Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland, and Sweden voted against the reform. Belgium, Estonia, and Slovenia abstained. In the end, Germany's approval was the decisive tip on the scales for the necessary majority.

date 2019/09/10

press

Security

Two Factors for Secure Online Payments

Strong authentication of customers for electronic payments obligatory from 14 September - the eco Association offers seven tips for secure two-factor authentication

date 2019/09/09

press

Law & Regulation

eco Association: Rectify the Wi-Fi Act to Enable Germany to Catch Up Internationally

eco participates in consultation on the 3rd Amendment of the German Telemedia Act, with the core message: Website blocking without judicial decisions causes legal uncertainty for Wi-Fi operators and impedes Germany's international competitiveness.

date 2019/09/05

press

IoT

eco Association Smart Home Survey: Data Protection is Key to Acceptance

As the IFA (the global innovations show) gets ready to open its doors in Berlin, an eco survey reveals that over a quarter of Germans are already using digital voice assistants. It also concludes: High data protection standards are key to the acceptance of AI.

date 2019/09/05

press

Law & Regulation

“Digitalization as the Most Important Opportunity for SMEs” - eco Comments on New German Government SME Strategy

The German Federal Economics Minister Altmaier has presented the cornerstones of his strategy for SMEs, “Valuing - Strengthening - Easing the Load”. The eco Association welcomes this strategy, whilst emphasizing that digital infrastructures are fundamental to the success of digital technologies and the future of SMEs.

date 2019/08/30

press

Blockchain

eco White Paper “Blockchain in SMEs” Published

Practical blockchain know-how for SMEs – 36-page white paper provides firsthand expert blockchain knowledge & application scenarios

date 2019/08/19

press

Security

Internet Security Days 2019: Defend against Cyber Attacks with AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) finds anomalies autonomously and shows strategies to combat acute cyber attacks, and the combination of artificial and human intelligence improves the security level in companies.

date 2019/08/13

press

Law & Regulation

eco Congratulates New EU Commission President: “Future EU Commission must decisively & systematically implement modern digital policy”

Yesterday evening in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen was elected as the new President of the European Commission by MEPs in the European Parliament. In the run-up to the vote, the President-elect of the Commission had already published her political agenda for Europe.

date 2019/07/17

press

eco

eco:// kongress Cologne – Shape the Internet of the Future with Artificial Intelligence

At the eco://kongress taking part on 21 November in Cologne, three focal topics will form the framework for the discussions taking place amongst the leading minds of the Internet industry: "Forward thinking for society"; "City, Country, Future"; and "Industry 4.0 with AI".

date 2019/07/16

press

IoT

Digital Assistants Business Trend: Data Transparency and Good Education as the Key to AI Success

An eco survey reveals that over a quarter of Germans are already using digital voice assistants. Meanwhile, high data protection standards are identified as being the key to the acceptance of AI technologies and services while, going forward, AI will need human intelligence for its own development.

date 2019/07/12

press

Cloud Computing

Cloud First: Industry Coalition Provides Best Practice Guidance for Europe’s Public Procurers of Cloud Services

A new handbook, launched in Brussels today and entitled "Buying Cloud Services in Public Sector", is designed to help public purchasers in Europe to shape more effective cloud procurement vehicles.

date 2019/07/03

press

Law & Regulation

G20: eco and i2Coalition Call for Progress on Transatlantic Data Protection Agreement

Following the G20 summit in Japan, a joint paper issued by the partner associations eco and i2Coalition emphasizes the importance of a new transatlantic data protection agreement.

date 2019/07/01

press

Law & Regulation

eco: New EU Parliament Must Drive Forward the Digital Single Market

The new EU Parliament will be formally constituted on 2 July. In this context, eco Chair Oliver Süme emphasizes how important a fast-track development of the Digital Single Market is for the new legislative term.

date 2019/07/01

press

Law & Regulation

eco Presents the Digital Compass of the German Federal States

Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia are the trailblazers in digital policy, this is one of the key findings of the first Digital Compass of the German Federal States, which eco – Association of the Internet Industry has now made available online (in German only).

date 2019/06/27

press

Events

Game of IT Security: Agenda of the Internet Security Days 2019 Online

Know-how for cyber security today and tomorrow – this will be conveyed by more than 30 experts at the Internet Security Days (ISDs) on 26 and 27 September 2019 in keynotes, security sessions, panel discussions, and workshops.

date 2019/06/26

press

© eco - Association of the Internet Industry

Law & Regulation

eco - Association of the Internet Industry: Board of Directors Confirmed in Office

Oliver J. Süme will continue as Chair of the Board of eco – Association of the Internet Industry. The Hamburg-based lawyer and partner in the law firm Fieldfisher was unanimously re-elected on 18 June 2019 at the eco Annual General Meeting in Cologne, as were the other members of the Board, Klaus Landefeld, Felix Höger, and Professor Norbert Pohlmann.

date 2019/06/19

press

Law & Regulation

eco Comments on ECJ Ruling on GMail: “Positive Signal for Data Protection”

Last Thursday, the ECJ ruled that the “Gmail” service should not be treated as a telecommunications service under European law, thus foiling the plans of the German Federal Network Agency to subject web services to the provisions of the German Telecommunications Act.

date 2019/06/17

press

Networks

eco Comments on End of 5G Spectrum Auction: “Milestone for a Networked Germany”

The German Federal Network Agency has declared the 5G spectrum auction closed. According to eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld: “The end of the 5G spectrum auction marks a fundamental milestone on Germany's path to becoming a networked industry location and society."

date 2019/06/14

press

Law & Regulation

eco: “Encroachment on encryption and statutory backdoors thwart IT security.”

eco, together with representatives of German and European industry, academia, and civil society, criticizes in an open letter the plans of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) for wanting to legally oblige providers of messenger services to retroactively alter end-to-end encryption.

date 2019/06/14

press

Law & Regulation

eco Criticizes Ministers of Justice Plans on Blanket Data Retention: “Resuscitation measures are not an option”

Oliver Süme, eco Chair of the Board, warns against renewed discussions on European information and retention obligations for the Internet industry: “Any policy to revive blanket data retention is not an option, in any form whatsoever.”

date 2019/06/06

press

Law & Regulation

EU Copyright Comes into Effect

eco calls for a sense of proportion in the implementation of the EU Copyright Directive

date 2019/06/06

press

IoT

eco Guidelines: Technologies, Data Protection and Security for Self-Driving Cars

With the guidelines on “Connected and Autonomous Mobility”, eco – Association of the Internet Industry supports the automotive industry with immediate effect in bringing the self-driving car onto the road with cyber security, data protection, and well-defined areas of responsibility and liability.

date 2019/06/04

press

© eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V.

Security

Study Commisssion Artificial Intelligence

“We must make AI safe, trustworthy and successful”, says eco board member Prof. Norbert Pohlmann.

date 2019/06/04

press

E-Mail

CSA Summit 2019

Email Today and Tomorrow – Individual, Interactive and Interesting

date 2019/06/04

press

Law & Regulation

Internet Industry Discusses Data Protection in Washington: Strengthen EU-US Privacy Shield

On 22 May, representatives of the Internet industry and politics from both sides of the Atlantic came together in Washington to participate in a critical exchange on transatlantic data protection and the future of the EU-US Privacy Shield.

date 2019/05/27

press

Law & Regulation

Many Companies Still Uncertain One Year into the GDPR

eco Association welcomes the initiative of the German federal government to protect companies from discretionary warning penalties. DPAs’ period of grace for imposition of heavy fines will soon draw to a close.

date 2019/05/22

press