Bundestag Strengthens Data Protection Authority

BfDI Press Releases (Germany DPA)

Published November 18th, 2019

Detected February 11th, 2026

Summary

The German Bundestag's Budget Committee has allocated an additional 67 posts to the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) for the upcoming year. This funding aims to enhance supervision of security authorities, support new digitalization tasks in the health sector, and improve international cooperation.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

The German Bundestag's Budget Committee has approved an additional 67 positions for the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI). This funding increase is intended to bolster the BfDI's capacity to oversee security authorities, manage new digitalization initiatives within the health sector, and enhance its participation in international data protection committees. The Federal Commissioner, Ulrich Kelber, expressed satisfaction, noting that this follows similar increases in 2018 and 2019, and aims to expand advisory services to government, parliament, and companies, as well as public information.

While this notice highlights a strengthening of the federal data protection authority, it also points out that many state-level data protection authorities remain understaffed, with an appeal for similar improvements at the Länder level. The BfDI also intends to push for more detailed and binding rules for the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at the European level, specifically targeting areas like cross-device tracking and data security. For regulated entities, this signifies a potential for increased scrutiny and clearer guidance on GDPR compliance, particularly concerning data processing and security measures.

What to do next

Review increased staffing and potential enhanced advisory services from BfDI.
Monitor forthcoming detailed GDPR implementation rules from BfDI.

Source document (simplified)

Bonn/Berlin, 18/11/2019

Press release 28/2019

The Bundestag strengthens the data protection supervisory authority

The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag has allocated a further 67 posts to the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) for the next year. This is intended to enable the Federal Commissioner, inter alia, to strengthen the supervision of security authorities, to perform new tasks related to digitalisation in the health sector and to cooperate more closely in international committees.

The Federal Commissioner, Ulrich Kelber, was pleased about the Parliament’s decisions and said: By this allocation, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag strengthens again the data protection supervisory authority of the Federal Government. Also in 2018 and 2019 my office has been allocated a number of additional posts in order to better perform existing and new tasks.

Due to the growth intended in the budget, his authority, which currently comprises of 250 posts, will have substantially more staff members in the future. By this increase, the Federal Commissioner wishes, inter alia, to expand the provision of advice to the Government, Parliament and companies, and he intends to further enhance information for the public. When it comes to legislation, the introduction of new systems and business models, we prefer providing advice from the very start in order to prevent any conflicts with data protection at the end, explains Mr. Kelber.

At the European level, the BfDI intends to strongly push forward the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation in binding and detailed rules which can and must be used by all companies as guidance when they process personal data. For example, users tracking across devices and platforms, as well as insufficient technical protection of data, are to be curtailed.

The Federal Commissioner appeals to the parliaments of the Länder to also improve the staffing situation of the data protection authorities of the Länder: The German Bundestag has shown the way forward, and it has proven that it intends to enforce citizens’ rights in practice. However, many data protection authorities of the Länder remain severely understaffed. This situation finally calls for a change.