Protection through rules
European laws and our high internal standards protect your data. They form the basis for everything we do. We do not just say this; we also review it regularly.
What benefits does European data protection offer you?
Data protection is a fundamental right in the European Union. You can never lose this right. That means you always remain in control of your data. As a general rule, no one else has the right to decide how it is used. This is reflected in the world's highest data protection requirements, set out in the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Your fundamental right to data protection also includes:
- Transparency in data processing
- The right to information about how your data is used
- The right to object and have data corrected
Learn more about your options and rights on our "protected by yourself" page.
Companies outside Europe also recognize Europe's data protection advantage. For example, Microsoft offers some cloud programs from German data centers in cooperation with Telekom. Through the Microsoft Trust Center, we help ensure that Microsoft data is protected as securely as possible.
How do we protect your data?
Privacy is not only a legal obligation for us; it is also important to us. That is why we have put measures in place to uphold our high privacy standards. In addition to legal requirements, all employees must follow the Group's privacy policies. This includes, among other things, how often our employees receive privacy training.
When there are deliberate violations of our policies and conduct requirements, Deutsche Telekom follows a zero-tolerance strategy in accordance with our Code of Conducts and consistently sanctions misconduct.
Internal advice and oversight:
Our Group Data Privacy Department advises and monitors all Telekom companies to ensure they comply with legal and internal data privacy policies. Every product or service we develop must be submitted to the department's experts and undergo a rigorous review process (PSA). This process examines whether all data privacy and security requirements are met. Only then may we offer a product to customers or use it ourselves.
External advice and oversight:
An independent Data Privacy Advisory Board, made up of experts from politics, academia, and business, advises Telekom's Board of Management. Its members provide recommendations on our data privacy measures. We also voluntarily have external auditing bodies regularly certify our processes and products, such as TÜV and DEKRA. This helps us maintain a consistently high level of data privacy.
Who has access to your data?
We follow the need-to-know principle. This means that only as many people as absolutely necessary come into contact with your data. For example, a customer service representative who wants to provide you with personalized information. Or our finance department, which needs your address for billing. All employees are regularly required to comply with data and telecommunications secrecy. In addition, every employee access to data is logged and reviewed if necessary.
