Germany Berlin DPA Press Releases

Berlin DPA Reports DeepSeek AI App as Illegal Content Under DSA

The Berlin Data Protection Commissioner reported the DeepSeek AI application to Apple and Google on June 27, 2025, as illegal content under Article 16 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), following DeepSeek's failure to comply with a May 6, 2025 request to remove its apps from German stores or establish lawful data transfer mechanisms. The action targets Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., a Beijing-based company with no EU establishment, for unlawful transfers of user data (text inputs, chat history, uploaded files, device, location, and network information) to Chinese servers. DeepSeek violated Article 46(1) GDPR because no EU adequacy decision exists for China. The coordinated action involved DPAs from Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Bremen, with the Federal Network Agency notified. Apple and Google must now promptly review the report and decide on app store blocking.

European DPAs Issue Joint Opinion Criticizing EU Digital Omnibus Data Protection Proposal

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted a joint opinion criticizing the EU Commission's Digital Omnibus proposal. The Berlin Data Protection Officer Meike Kamp stated that while simplification measures such as unified data breach notification procedures and standardized privacy impact assessments are welcome, the proposed changes to the definition of personal data would fundamentally weaken GDPR protections and could enable broader advertising tracking and user profiling online.

Berlin DPA Criticizes Planned Changes to Data Protection and Freedom of Information Law

Meike Kamp, the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, has published a position statement criticizing planned amendments to the Berliner Datenschutzgesetz (Berlin Data Protection Act) and Berliner Informationsfreiheitsgesetz (Berlin Freedom of Information Act). The Commissioner warns that proposed changes to video surveillance of critical infrastructure would be practically ineffective, as they do not substantially change existing legal requirements. Additionally, Kamp warns that extensive new exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act threaten to reverse the transparency of public authorities in Berlin, potentially causing Berlin to fall to the lowest ranks among German states for information freedom.