Transparency matters greatly to us
Telecommunications companies are legally required to assist security authorities with surveillance measures or by disclosing data. Within the scope of these legal obligations, we aim to make our activities as transparent as possible. In 2014, Deutsche Telekom became the first company to publish a transparency report for Germany. Following an extensive analysis of the applicable legal frameworks, we published our first international transparency report for our international subsidiaries in 2016.
Our current cross-country transparency report provides information on the nature and volume of disclosures to security authorities in 2024. This includes surveillance measures that may be used to monitor or record telecommunications communications. It also quantifies disclosures of subscriber information and traffic data. We provide assistance only where there is a clear and binding legal basis in the respective countries. The report also identifies these legal bases and the responsible authorities.
How should these figures be understood?
In some countries, only the number of requests from public authorities is counted, not the number of surveillance measures actually carried out or disclosures actually made. Requests may seek stored traffic data (when did a communication take place, between which connections, and for how long?) or so-called subscriber data (customer information such as name, address, and date of birth). In some cases, information must also be provided about IP address holders (subscriber data associated with a specific IP address).
A single request may cover multiple lines or records. It is also important to consider that one record may contain a wide range of information, such as multiple identifiers, including the IMEI device identification number used in mobile communications and the phone number. If a request concerns only one specific customer, that customer may have both a mobile and a landline connection. At least two records must therefore be disclosed.
When a mobile device needs to be located at a specific time, it may be necessary to consider multiple mobile network cells, and therefore multiple data records, because its location had changed from one cell to another. Disclosures can become very extensive when all devices registered with a mobile network cell during a specific period must be listed. Especially in large cities, this can result in tens or even hundreds of thousands of data records.
Information about Germany
In 2024, Deutsche Telekom’s regional offices for special government requirements in Germany (ReSAs) activated nearly 36,000 surveillance measures. This figure increased from the previous year. The ReSA teams also provide traffic data, that is, when communications took place, between which connections, and for how long. They also provide customer data such as names, addresses, and dates of birth. The number of traffic data disclosures decreased slightly from the previous year, while customer data disclosures increased. Customer data disclosures also include assignments of IP addresses to the respective account holder for law enforcement purposes. These account for approximately half of subscriber data disclosures. The number of copyright protection requests increased compared with the previous year.
Our experts review every request for legal compliance, with particular attention to protecting the confidentiality of telecommunications and personal data. We provide support for surveillance measures strictly in accordance with the four-eyes principle. This means that two employees are always involved and review each other's work. Technically, an interception setup ensures that the affected communications are provided directly to the authority. Telekom itself cannot access the content of these communications. We also maintain a high level of technical security. Protecting each person's rights always comes first, especially safeguarding the confidentiality of telecommunications.
Our Security Policies
All requirements for transparent, legally compliant conduct are bindingly established in our Security Policies for all companies in the Telekom Group, providing a shared framework for action.
