Toggle navigation eco Press Releases Press Releases Press Center Press DownloadsPress TextPhotographsLogosStudiesAnnual Reports Law & Regulation Corona Stop App: “Digital technologies can accelerate the fight against the pandemic” The Association of the Internet Industry is in favor of the use of a tracking app in the COVID-19 crisis, if this application is designed in accordance with data protection regulations and if users can install the app on a voluntary basis. date 2020/04/02 press Law & Regulation eco Complaints Office Launches 2019 Annual Report Online In an eco webinar yesterday, the Head of the eco Complaints Office Alexandra Koch-Skiba launched the Complaints Office's new Annual Report for 2019 together with Maximilian Schubert, President of EuroISPA. With this annual report, the eco Complaints Office looks back on a labor-intensive year: with 4,654 cases, the office recorded by far the highest number of justified complaints to date. date 2020/03/31 press New Work eco Survey Reveals: 85 Percent of the German Workforce Values the Opportunities of Mobile Working 85 percent of employees in Germany are in favor of virtual working in light of the current crisis situation, as a representative survey of some 2,500 employees reveals. Experts from the eco Association provide concrete tips on how companies can remain up and running, in spite of the coronavirus outbreak. date 2020/03/23 press © NicoElNino | istockphoto.com Law & Regulation Corona Pandemic: Digital Infrastructure Particularly Important for the Economy and Society in Times of Crisis Beyond, of course, the health consequences and the impact on public life, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 means that many people are now staying put at home. This also has an impact on Internet use: With 9.1 Terabit data per second, the Frankfurt Internet exchange DE-CIX set a new world record on 10 March. This shows that functioning digital infrastructures are indispensable for a functioning economic structure and social life and are needed more urgently than ever in Europe. date 2020/03/13 press Law & Regulation eco on European Industrial Strategy: “Europe Mustn’t Allow Itself to be Overtaken by China and Silicon Valley” Today, the EU Commission is presenting its concepts for both an industrial and an SME strategy. The eco Association believes that an EU-wide strategy is urgently needed in the context of international competition, in order to maintain and strengthen the European economy in the long term. date 2020/03/10 press eco Karl-Heinz Land New Member of eco Presidency Committee The entrepreneur and German IT industry pioneer is an advocate of strong partnerships between Internet companies and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). date 2020/03/05 press Law & Regulation Environmental Digital Agenda: Digital Industry as Part of the Solution for Achieving Climate Targets Today, the German Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze presented Germany’s Environmental Digital Agenda. On this topic, Dr. Béla Waldhauser – Spokesperson of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, which was founded two years ago under the umbrella of eco – had the following to say: “Digitalization and digital enterprises form part of the solution to achieving climate goals.” date 2020/03/02 press eco AI-Project Service-Meister is Launched The Service-Meister project was formally launched in Frankfurt am Main on 11 February 2020. Service-Meister was chosen for funding as part of the AI innovation competition of the German government. date 2020/02/18 press Law & Regulation eco Association on European AI and Data Strategies: AI & Data Policy As Two Sides of the Same Coin The EU Commission has scheduled two groundbreaking digital policy papers to be launched on 19th February: the AI White Paper and the Data Strategy. In the opinion of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, this combination makes good sense: “A clear AI policy and a clear data policy are two sides of the same coin,” says eco Chair of the Board Oliver J. Süme. date 2020/02/17 press Cloud Computing Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and EuroCloud_eco Sign Cooperation Agreement The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), eco – Association of the Internet Industry, and EuroCloud Deutschland_eco have joined forces. Norbert Pohlmann, Board Member of eco and EuroCloud, and Linda Strick, Director CSA EMEA, signed an agreement to this effect today in Berlin. date 2020/02/12 press eco New eco Study Investigates Economic Potential of Artificial Intelligence: Possibility of 13 Percent Growth in German GDP by 2025 Chance for Europe: Study shows potential of AI in Germany alone to generate approx. 488 billion Euros in 2025 eco recommends that companies across the board should promptly introduce AI Alongside targeted research and development, politics must also support high-speed and sovereign digital infrastructures, as well... date 2020/02/03 press © eco - Association of the Internet Industry Law & Regulation eco Comments on EUCJ Proceedings on Blanket Data Retention: “All resuscitation attempts will fail” Blanket data retention is disproportionate and incompatible with EU law. The Association of the Internet Industry welcomes the fact that the Advocate General is upholding the judgment of the European Court of Justice (EUCJ) against general and indiscriminate blanket data retention. date 2020/01/15 press eco eco Review 2019: We Must Harness the Enormous Potential of the Digital Revolution In order for successful digital transformation and adaptation of important key technologies such as AI to take place, the Internet industry needs political backing. In 2019, the eco Association actively participated in numerous digital policy debates at German national and European level on topics such as AI, 5G, copyright law, blanket data retention, and the importance of digital infrastructures. date 2020/01/06 press Law & Regulation New Ethics Compendium: eco Association Calls for Discursive Approach to Questions of Digital Ethics New Ethics Compendium as Internet industry contribution to the debate on digital ethics . date 2019/12/16 press Law & Regulation eco on Planned Reform of the German Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG): “Social networks confronted anew with great legal uncertainty” eco Chair of the Board Oliver J. Süme assesses the current plans for an obligation to notify for the operators of social networks critically, seeing them as being insufficiently thought through. date 2019/12/06 press Law & Regulation eco on the Inauguration of the New EU Commission: “As a Digital Location, Europe Needs a Visionary Agenda” Following on from Ursula von der Leyen's election by the European Parliament as the future President of the European Commission in July 2019, the new EU Commission will now also start its work on 1 December. The European Commission now has the key task of shaping a rigorous digital policy for the digital future of us all. date 2019/12/02 press Law & Regulation eco and ISOC to Work Together for a Secure and Globally Connected Internet eco & the Internet Society sign Memorandum of Understanding at the IGF 2019. date 2019/11/25 press Datacenter White Paper: Utilization of Waste Heat in Data Centers White paper introduces successful concepts and talks through opportunities and challenges for data centers to operate more sustainably in future. date 2019/11/25 press eco The Winners of the 18th eco://awards Six visionary and innovative business models were honored by the eco Association as part of a festive awards ceremony, and the Special Award for Ladies in Tech was presented to Stefanie Kemp for her outstanding commitment to female business leaders in the Internet industry. date 2019/11/22 press Cloud Computing EuroCloud: 14.5 M Euro Data Protection Fine a Warning Shot for Cloud Companies On 05.11.2019, the Berlin Data Protection Supervisory Authority announced the imposition of a fine amounting to 14.5 M Euro.* It goes without saying that, for Germany, the size of this fine is sensational. date 2019/11/08 press Law & Regulation IGF 2019: eco Calls for a Dialogue on the Opportunities of the Internet for SMEs Germany is hosting the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for the very first time this year, which will take place from 25 to 29 November 2019 in the Estrel Congress Center in Berlin. The eco Association will be on location, participating in high-level panel sessions and with a booth at the IGF Village. date 2019/11/01 press Cloud Computing GAIA-X: eco Supports the Design of a Sovereign European Data Infrastructure Digital sovereignty in the form of high-performance and secure digital infrastructures is a key success factor and decisive for the future viability of Germany as a business location. This is the opinion of the overwhelming majority (80 percent) of decision-makers in German companies, according to the results of a current representative survey commissioned by eco. date 2019/10/29 press Law & Regulation “Regulatory fantasies will put the brakes on digitalization” eco Comments Final Report of German Data Ethics Commission date 2019/10/23 press 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
Law & Regulation Corona Stop App: “Digital technologies can accelerate the fight against the pandemic” The Association of the Internet Industry is in favor of the use of a tracking app in the COVID-19 crisis, if this application is designed in accordance with data protection regulations and if users can install the app on a voluntary basis. date 2020/04/02 press
Law & Regulation eco Complaints Office Launches 2019 Annual Report Online In an eco webinar yesterday, the Head of the eco Complaints Office Alexandra Koch-Skiba launched the Complaints Office's new Annual Report for 2019 together with Maximilian Schubert, President of EuroISPA. With this annual report, the eco Complaints Office looks back on a labor-intensive year: with 4,654 cases, the office recorded by far the highest number of justified complaints to date. date 2020/03/31 press
New Work eco Survey Reveals: 85 Percent of the German Workforce Values the Opportunities of Mobile Working 85 percent of employees in Germany are in favor of virtual working in light of the current crisis situation, as a representative survey of some 2,500 employees reveals. Experts from the eco Association provide concrete tips on how companies can remain up and running, in spite of the coronavirus outbreak. date 2020/03/23 press
© NicoElNino | istockphoto.com Law & Regulation Corona Pandemic: Digital Infrastructure Particularly Important for the Economy and Society in Times of Crisis Beyond, of course, the health consequences and the impact on public life, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 means that many people are now staying put at home. This also has an impact on Internet use: With 9.1 Terabit data per second, the Frankfurt Internet exchange DE-CIX set a new world record on 10 March. This shows that functioning digital infrastructures are indispensable for a functioning economic structure and social life and are needed more urgently than ever in Europe. date 2020/03/13 press
Law & Regulation eco on European Industrial Strategy: “Europe Mustn’t Allow Itself to be Overtaken by China and Silicon Valley” Today, the EU Commission is presenting its concepts for both an industrial and an SME strategy. The eco Association believes that an EU-wide strategy is urgently needed in the context of international competition, in order to maintain and strengthen the European economy in the long term. date 2020/03/10 press
eco Karl-Heinz Land New Member of eco Presidency Committee The entrepreneur and German IT industry pioneer is an advocate of strong partnerships between Internet companies and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). date 2020/03/05 press
Law & Regulation Environmental Digital Agenda: Digital Industry as Part of the Solution for Achieving Climate Targets Today, the German Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze presented Germany’s Environmental Digital Agenda. On this topic, Dr. Béla Waldhauser – Spokesperson of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, which was founded two years ago under the umbrella of eco – had the following to say: “Digitalization and digital enterprises form part of the solution to achieving climate goals.” date 2020/03/02 press
eco AI-Project Service-Meister is Launched The Service-Meister project was formally launched in Frankfurt am Main on 11 February 2020. Service-Meister was chosen for funding as part of the AI innovation competition of the German government. date 2020/02/18 press
Law & Regulation eco Association on European AI and Data Strategies: AI & Data Policy As Two Sides of the Same Coin The EU Commission has scheduled two groundbreaking digital policy papers to be launched on 19th February: the AI White Paper and the Data Strategy. In the opinion of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, this combination makes good sense: “A clear AI policy and a clear data policy are two sides of the same coin,” says eco Chair of the Board Oliver J. Süme. date 2020/02/17 press
Cloud Computing Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and EuroCloud_eco Sign Cooperation Agreement The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), eco – Association of the Internet Industry, and EuroCloud Deutschland_eco have joined forces. Norbert Pohlmann, Board Member of eco and EuroCloud, and Linda Strick, Director CSA EMEA, signed an agreement to this effect today in Berlin. date 2020/02/12 press
eco New eco Study Investigates Economic Potential of Artificial Intelligence: Possibility of 13 Percent Growth in German GDP by 2025 Chance for Europe: Study shows potential of AI in Germany alone to generate approx. 488 billion Euros in 2025 eco recommends that companies across the board should promptly introduce AI Alongside targeted research and development, politics must also support high-speed and sovereign digital infrastructures, as well... date 2020/02/03 press
© eco - Association of the Internet Industry Law & Regulation eco Comments on EUCJ Proceedings on Blanket Data Retention: “All resuscitation attempts will fail” Blanket data retention is disproportionate and incompatible with EU law. The Association of the Internet Industry welcomes the fact that the Advocate General is upholding the judgment of the European Court of Justice (EUCJ) against general and indiscriminate blanket data retention. date 2020/01/15 press
eco eco Review 2019: We Must Harness the Enormous Potential of the Digital Revolution In order for successful digital transformation and adaptation of important key technologies such as AI to take place, the Internet industry needs political backing. In 2019, the eco Association actively participated in numerous digital policy debates at German national and European level on topics such as AI, 5G, copyright law, blanket data retention, and the importance of digital infrastructures. date 2020/01/06 press
Law & Regulation New Ethics Compendium: eco Association Calls for Discursive Approach to Questions of Digital Ethics New Ethics Compendium as Internet industry contribution to the debate on digital ethics . date 2019/12/16 press
Law & Regulation eco on Planned Reform of the German Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG): “Social networks confronted anew with great legal uncertainty” eco Chair of the Board Oliver J. Süme assesses the current plans for an obligation to notify for the operators of social networks critically, seeing them as being insufficiently thought through. date 2019/12/06 press
Law & Regulation eco on the Inauguration of the New EU Commission: “As a Digital Location, Europe Needs a Visionary Agenda” Following on from Ursula von der Leyen's election by the European Parliament as the future President of the European Commission in July 2019, the new EU Commission will now also start its work on 1 December. The European Commission now has the key task of shaping a rigorous digital policy for the digital future of us all. date 2019/12/02 press
Law & Regulation eco and ISOC to Work Together for a Secure and Globally Connected Internet eco & the Internet Society sign Memorandum of Understanding at the IGF 2019. date 2019/11/25 press
Datacenter White Paper: Utilization of Waste Heat in Data Centers White paper introduces successful concepts and talks through opportunities and challenges for data centers to operate more sustainably in future. date 2019/11/25 press
eco The Winners of the 18th eco://awards Six visionary and innovative business models were honored by the eco Association as part of a festive awards ceremony, and the Special Award for Ladies in Tech was presented to Stefanie Kemp for her outstanding commitment to female business leaders in the Internet industry. date 2019/11/22 press
Cloud Computing EuroCloud: 14.5 M Euro Data Protection Fine a Warning Shot for Cloud Companies On 05.11.2019, the Berlin Data Protection Supervisory Authority announced the imposition of a fine amounting to 14.5 M Euro.* It goes without saying that, for Germany, the size of this fine is sensational. date 2019/11/08 press
Law & Regulation IGF 2019: eco Calls for a Dialogue on the Opportunities of the Internet for SMEs Germany is hosting the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for the very first time this year, which will take place from 25 to 29 November 2019 in the Estrel Congress Center in Berlin. The eco Association will be on location, participating in high-level panel sessions and with a booth at the IGF Village. date 2019/11/01 press
Cloud Computing GAIA-X: eco Supports the Design of a Sovereign European Data Infrastructure Digital sovereignty in the form of high-performance and secure digital infrastructures is a key success factor and decisive for the future viability of Germany as a business location. This is the opinion of the overwhelming majority (80 percent) of decision-makers in German companies, according to the results of a current representative survey commissioned by eco. date 2019/10/29 press
Law & Regulation “Regulatory fantasies will put the brakes on digitalization” eco Comments Final Report of German Data Ethics Commission date 2019/10/23 press
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
