With our commitment to consumer protection, we want to minimize legal risks and strengthen the trust of our customers. We are continuously working to ensure that consumers can use our products and services safely. We are also committed to the protection of fundamental digital rights and other consumer policy issues with various initiatives.
You can find more detailed information on the topic of consumer protection in our Sustainability Statement 2024.
Our most important topics in terms of consumer protection
Our commitment to the interests and protection of our customers has different focuses. In doing so, we are always guided by the challenges and requirements of the countries in which we operate.
Data protection and data security are extremely important to Deutsche Telekom. That is why we take strict data protection and security requirements into account both in the development of our products and services and in the use of them by our customers. In addition to the Sustainability Statement mentioned above, further information can also be found here in the CR report under Cybersecurity and data protection.
We incorporate the topic of “mobile communications and health” and current scientific research into our processes. With regard to electromagnetic fields (EMF) used in mobile communications, we follow the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection and build our mobile networks in such a way that the electromagnetic fields are below the legal limits. In this way, we ensure that the respective legal limits are complied with and that health protection is thus reliably ensured. In addition, we publish comprehensible and technically sound consumer information about the effect of EMFs.
We want to promote the protection of children and young people when using digital media and protect them from harmful content. Therefore, we provide age-appropriate offers and offer helpful information to parents or guardians. In addition, we work closely with law enforcement agencies and NGOs as well as other partners from business, politics and society. Further information on our measures can be found here in the CR report under Digital inclusion or at Teachtoday International.
Excursus: Digital Fundamental Rights
Protecting minors when using online platforms is also one of the key objectives of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in the EU in 2024. According to this, platforms on the internet must enable their users, for example, to report posts with disinformation and hate speech. We welcome the law and are committed to informing consumers about their fundamental digital rights – for example as part of our “No Hate Speech” initiative. In the year under review, we also participated in a tender from the European Commission to develop an age verification app – and were awarded the contract at the beginning of 2025. For more information, please visit our website.
Commitment to consumers
Customer satisfaction is a top priority for Deutsche Telekom. We are therefore politically committed to helping to shape the framework conditions for consumers. Our key consumer policy issues are:
- Simple legal framework as the basis for a positive customer experience in service
- Commitment to consistent and understandable communication with customers
- Protection of customer interests in telecommunications (e.g. when changing providers in the fixed network and mobile communications)
- Strengthening comprehensive and cross-technology protection of minors at national and EU level
- Continuous continuation of consumer data protection (e.g. in the online advertising industry)
In all subject areas, we stand for a balanced, constructive and solution-oriented approach that is geared to both consumer needs and corporate interests.
Looking ahead
In addition to our commitment to data and network security and mobile phone limits that are harmless to health, our main focus is on the well-being of minors. In 2025, we will continue our previous efforts and develop an age check app on behalf of the European Commission – for more protection, security and privacy for children and young people in the digital world.