All News All News

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport takes the protection of your personal data (any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person) very seriously. We would like you to know when we collect data, what data we collect and how we process these data.

We have taken technical and organizational measures to ensure that the provisions governing data protection are complied with, by both the Ministry and external service providers to whom we award contracts as part of the discharge of our functions. The servers on which the contents of the bmdv.bund.de website are hosted are located in Germany. This does not include the contents of social networks, platforms and other online services, such as YouTube, SoundCloud and Flickr, that the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has linked to its website. These are governed by the provisions of the service provider in question (cf. also 3.1 Data collection and 6. Processing of personal data within the context of the use of other online services).

At the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, personal data are processed in line with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act.

1. Controller and data protection officer

The controller responsible for the processing of personal data is the
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport
Invalidenstrasse 44
10115 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 18 300-0
Fax: +49 30 18 300 1920
Email: poststelle@bmdv.bund.de
De-Mail: poststelle@bmdv-bund.de-mail.de

If you have specific questions concerning the protection of your data, please contact the data protection officer at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport:
Data Protection Commissioner at the BMDV
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport
Robert-Schuman-Platz 1
53175 Bonn
Telephone: 0228 99 - 300 - 0
Email: datenschutz@bmdv.bund.de

2. Legal basis for the processing of personal data

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport processes personal data in the discharge of the functions incumbent upon it that are in the public interest. The public functions of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport include, in particular, public relations activities and the associated provision of information in the context of the present website.

The legal basis of processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in conjunction with the appropriate domestic or European provision assigning responsibilities and/or in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act.

Should, in an individual case, the processing of personal data be necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR in conjunction with the corresponding legislation from which the legal obligation derives also serves as a legal basis.

If, for the purpose of processing personal data, we obtain the consent of the data subject, Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR serves as the legal basis.

In the processing of personal data that is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR also serves as the legal basis in a individual case. This also applies to processing operations that are necessary to take steps prior to entering into a contract. As a contracting party under civil law, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is especially active in the fields of recruitment and procurement.

In the event that processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person, Article 6(1)(d) of the GDPR is the legal basis.

3. Data processing when this website is visited

3.1 Data collection

Every time our website is visited and every time a file is downloaded, data relating to this process are temporarily stored and processed in a log file. Before being stored, each dataset is anonymized by having its IP address changed.

The following data relating to each visit/download are stored:

  • your anonymized IP address;
  • name of the page/file retrieved;
  • date and time of visit/retrieval;
  • volume of data transmitted;
  • message stating whether the visit/retrieval was successful.

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is required by Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 5 of the Act on the Federal Office for Information Security to store data beyond the point in time of your visit in order to protect against attacks on the Ministry's internet structure and the Federal Government’s communications technology. The data are analysed and, in the event of attacks on the communications technology, are required to launch a legal and criminal prosecution. The data will be erased as soon as they are no longer required for the discharge of functions.

Data logged when a person accesses the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport’s website will only be passed on to third parties if we are authorized to do so or obliged to do so by law or in order to comply with a court ruling or if we are required to pass on the information for law enforcement purposes in the case of an attack on our internet infrastructure. Data will not be passed on for any other non-commercial or commercial purposes.

In addition, we would like to explicitly draw your attention to the fact that the service providers to which the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport provides links on its website, such as Twitter and YouTube, store data of the Ministry's website visitors and use them for their business purposes, in accordance with their data usage guidelines, when active use is made of these services, such as playing a video on the website. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has no influence on the collection of data and their reuse by these online services. It thus has no information as to the volume of data stored, where they are stored and for how long, the extent to which the networks have complied with existing obligations to erase data, what analyses and links the data have been used for or to whom the data are passed on.

3.2 Use of cookies

To be able to offer you certain functions on our website, we use transient cookies, also known as session cookies. The basis for this is Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act in the context of public relations activities for the demand-driven provision of information on the functions delegated to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

Session cookies are small text files that are stored locally in the cache of the web browser of the person visiting the site. In a session cookie, a randomly generated unique identification number, also known as a session ID, is stored. In addition, a cookie contains information on its origin and the expiration date. These cookies cannot store any other data. The session ID places your orders in your shopping cart.

The session IDs are automatically deleted 30 minutes after the start of your session or as soon as you close the browser window. You shopping cart will subsequently be emptied. The products placed in your shopping cart until that point will have to be selected again if you have not yet completed your order.

Any web browser will show you whether cookies have been enabled and what they contain. Detailed information can be found on the websites of the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information and the Federal Office for Information Security.

There are also persistent cookies, which make it possible to identify visitors after a long period of absence. This information is stored as a text file on the hard disk of the visitor's computer. We do not use such cookies on our website.

Most browsers are set so as to accept cookies automatically. However, you can deactivate the storage of cookies or set your browser so that cookies are only stored for the duration of the current session. You can also delete cookies. For more information, please refer to our terms and conditions.

If you delete all cookies, your shopping cart will be emptied. The products placed in your shopping cart until that point will have to be selected again if you have not yet completed your order.

3.3 Web analysis

To optimise our website, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport uses “etracker”. This is a web analysis service.

The software places cookies on the computer of each visitor.

The following data are stored for statistical analysis when a web page is retrieved from our website:

  • the anonymized IP address;
  • information on the operating system and browser that were used;
  • geo information;
  • the retrieved URL;
  • the website from which the web page was accessed (referrer site);
  • the sub pages that were visited from the visited website;
  • the time spent on this website;
  • entered search terms;
  • downloaded PDF files;
  • videos watched; and
  • frequency of visiting this website.

In this process, the IP address is immediately anonymized. The software is only located on the servers of the etracker GmbH service provider, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. Thus, individual visitors cannot be detected by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

With the information gained through the web analysis, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport wants to further improve its website and adapt it to the needs of its visitors.

If you disagree with the storage and analysis of this data from your visit, you can object to the storage and use at any time by clicking on the button below. In this case, your browser will generate an opt-out cookie and etracker will not collect any data from your session. Warning: When deleting your cookies, the opt-out cookie will be deleted as well and might have to be re-activated.

Objection

Etracker does not count

4. Processing your personal data when you establish contact with the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport

The way in which your personal data are processed depends on how you contact us. Here, we distinguish between contact by email, contact form, letter, fax and telephone/hotline.

4.1 Contact by email

There are several ways to contact the Ministry by email: personal office email addresses of the members of staff; various shared mailboxes; the email address of the Public Information Service (buergerinfo@bmdv.bund.de), and the central email address (poststelle@bmdv.bund.de.) Emails received at the last-mentioned address are forwarded to the Public Information Service or the appropriate division for processing (see 4.3 for Public Information Service).

All messages sent to the central email address and the personal data stored in the organization unit responsible for the central distribution of messages will be erased no later than two years after they have been forwarded to the appropriate organizational units of the Ministry.

In the organizational units, the data you have transmitted, (for instance surname, first name, address), or at the very least your email address and the information contained in your email, including any personal data you may have transmitted, will, for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request, be stored in accordance with the periods for the retention of records as set out in the Registry Guidelines, which are a supplement to the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries.

If necessary for processing your request, other bodies such as Federal Government or federal state authorities will be involved. Your request will only be submitted to another authority with your explicit approval.

These data will be processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act. Processing of the personal data you have transmitted is necessary for the purpose of processing your request.

4.2 Contact by De-Mail

De-Mail enables traceable and confidential electronic communication. Moreover, only De-Mail users whose identity has been verified can send and receive messages. If you wish to send us a De-Mail, you require a De-Mail address yourself, which can be obtained from the accredited De-Mail service providers.
You can contact the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport via the central De-Mail address: poststelle@bmdv-bund.de-mail.de.

The information provided under 4.1 also applies to the processing and storage of data you transmit via this communication channel.

4.3 Contact using the Public Information Service's contact form

If you use the Public Information Service's contact form to communicate with us, it is necessary to provide your surname, first name and email address. Your request cannot be processed without these data. Providing your address is optional, but it will enable us – if you so wish – to process your request by post. In addition, the date and time of your enquiry are transmitted to us.

If you send us a message using the contact form or by email, we assume that we are authorized to answer by email. Otherwise, you must specify another type of communication.

The contents of the Ministry's contact form are transmitted via an encrypted https connection.

The data transmitted with the contact form and the contents, which may likewise include personal data you have transmitted, will be processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPRn in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request. The data you transmit to us will be stored in accordance with the periods for the retention of records as set out in the Registry Guidelines, which are a supplement to the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries.

If you use the Public Information Service's contact form, the contents of the data fields will be transmitted solely to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport's Public Information Service. The IP address of the sender will be recorded. This also happens if you send a conventional email to the buergerinfo@bmdv.bund.de. By checking the box and sending the contact form, you will be deemed to have given your consent, in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR, to the transmission and storage of your personal data and IP address. The purpose of processing personal data is to answer your request within the scope of Article 17 of the Basic Law. The IP address will be used solely within the context of criminal prosecution and security measures taken by the state, with due regard being paid to statutory prerequisites.

Your request will normally be processed by the staff of the Public Information Service. If the staff of the Public Information Service are unable to process your request, it will be forwarded to the unit responsible. By sending your requests, you will be deemed to have given your consent to your request being forwarded to other ministries or top-level federal authorities to be answered, should this be necessary.

Should you not give your consent to your data being processed, you can exit the process at any time. Your message will then not be sent.

4.4 Contacting the Public Information Service by fax

You can also contact the Public Information Service by fax.

The data you fax, including the contents, which may likewise include personal data you have transmitted, will be processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request. The data will be stored by the staff of the Public Information Service in accordance with the periods for the retention of records as set out in the Registry Guidelines, which are a supplement to the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries.

If necessary for processing your request, other bodies such as Federal Government or federal state authorities will be involved. Your request will only be submitted to another authority with your explicit approval.

4.5 Contact by letter

If you contact the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport by post, the data you have transmitted, (for instance surname, first name, address) and the information contained in your letter (including any personal data you may have transmitted) will, for the purpose of contacting you and processing your request, be stored in accordance with the periods for the retention of records as set out in the Registry Guidelines, which are a supplement to the Joint Rules of Procedure of the Federal Ministries.

These data will be processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act.

If necessary for processing your request, other bodies such as Federal Government or federal state authorities will be involved. Your request will only be submitted to another authority with your explicit approval.

4.6 Contact by telephone/hotline

If you phone the Public Information Service (+49 (0)30 18300 – 3060) or contact a member of staff from another organizational unit by telephone, no personal data will be recorded. Personal data will be recorded only if you request a return call or information in writing or if it is necessary for processing your request. In these cases, the information under 4.3 (Public Information Service) and 4.5 will apply.

5. Processing of personal data in the provision of information

The way in which personal data are processed depends on how the information is provided. Here, we distinguish between the provision of publications or our newsletter and visits to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

5.1 Ordering publications

If you order brochures, flyers or other publications using the shopping cart function on our website, it is necessary to process your data in order to take steps prior to entering into a contract and for the performance of a contract (provision of products) in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.
For your request to be processed, you must provide the following personal data:

  • Surname and first name
  • House number and street
  • Post code and town/city
  • Email adress

These data will be processed as part of providing the publication(s). If we are unable to send you the publication(s) you have ordered, the data you have provided will be forwarded to third parties (mail order company, possibly other authorities or institutions if they dispatch the material ordered). If you do not provide the aforementioned data, it will not be possible to process your order. The additional information, such as title, company and country, is not mandatory, but providing it will make it easier to process your order.

The data you have transmitted will be rendered anonymous 90 days after your order has been completed.

5.2 Newsletter mailing

If you add your name to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport's newsletter mailing list, your email address and the newsletter you have selected will be stored on a server. The data will be processed on the basis of the consent you have given, in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. We use these data for mailing the newsletter. We will not forward these data to third parties, nor will we use them for other purposes of our own.

When you register, a confirmation message will be generated and sent to the email address you have provided for final registration (double opt-in).

Once you have confirmed your registration, your data will be stored for purposes of newsletter mailing for as long as you use our newsletter service. If you cancel your subscription to the newsletter, which you may do at any time, your data will be erased immediately. Each time you receive a newsletter, you will be informed of the possibility of cancelling your subscription. Please follow the "form for de-registering" link. To de-register, you will require the email address you provided when registering.

5.3 Groups of visitors

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport regularly receives groups of visitors. In the contact form provided for this purpose, it is necessary that you provide your first name, surname and email address. Your request cannot be processed without these data.

Further information, such as institution, type of school, year of pupils, association or mobility constraints, etc. may be provided on a voluntary basis. This will help us to make better preparations for your visit to the Ministry.

You will subsequently receive an email from the Ministry regarding a possible date and confirmation of your request. This email will also request you to send a registration list containing details of the persons who will be taking part in the visit.

The following data are mandatory so that visitors can be granted access to the Ministry and be identified on the basis of the registration list:

  • first name and surname plus
  • date of birth of the visitor.

If this information is not provided, it will not be possible to grant access.

The data you provide to us for the purpose of your visit (mandatory information), as well as the additional personal data you provide on a voluntary basis, will be processed by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport on the basis of the consent you have given, in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR.

You may withdraw your consent at any time. The lawfulness of processing these data on the basis of the consent you have given will remain unaffected until we receive notice of withdrawal.

The personal data (first name, surname and data of birth of the visitor) you provide to us, as well as any data provided on a voluntary basis, will be completely erased 28 days after your visit to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

6. Processing of personal data when using other online services

To discharge its editorial functions, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is active on social networks and other online services, such as Twitter and YouTube.

We would like to point out that these data will be processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the GDPR in conjunction with section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act. Processing of the personal data you have transmitted is necessary for the purpose of processing your request.

In addition, we would like to explicitly draw your attention to the fact that the online services store the data of their users (for instance personal information, IP address, etc.) in accordance with their data usage guidelines and use them for business purposes. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has no influence on the collection of data and their reuse by social networks. It thus has no information as to the volume of data stored, where they are stored and for how long, the extent to which the networks have complied with existing obligations to erase data, what analyses and links the data have been used for or to whom the data are passed on.

7. Rights of data subjects

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is responsible for processing personal data both within the scope of discharging public functions and as a contracting party under civil law. The data subjects thus have the following rights from the GDPR at their disposal.

You can assert these rights by writing to the addresses listed in 1. If you have any questions or complaints, you can also contact the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport's Data Protection Officer (see 1.)

7.1 Right of access – Article 15 of the GDPR

With the right of access, data subjects enjoy extensive rights to inspect personal data concerning them and a few other important criteria, such as the purposes of the processing or the duration of storage. The exceptions to this right set out in section 34 of the federal Data Protection Act apply.

7.2 Right to rectification – Article 16 of the GDPR

The right to rectification gives data subjects the possibility of having incorrect personal data concerning them corrected.

7.3 Right to erasure – Article 17 of the GDPR

The right to erasure gives data subjects the possibility of having the controller erase data. However, this is only possible if the personal data concerning them are no longer necessary, have been unlawfully processed or if consent on which the processing is based is withdrawn. The exceptions to this right set out in section 35 of the federal Data Protection Act apply.

7.4 Right to restriction of processing – Article 18 of the GDPR

The right to restriction of processing gives data subjects the possibility of temporarily preventing the further processing of personal data concerning them. Restriction occurs primarily in the review phase of the exercise of rights by the data subject.

7.5 Right to data portability – Article 20 of the GDPR

The right to data portability gives data subjects the possibility of receiving from the controller the personal data concerning them in a commonly used and machine-readable format in order to have them forwarded to another controller if they wish. However, the second sentence of Article 20(3) of the GDPR states that this right shall not apply to data processing that is necessary for the performance of a public task.

7.6 Right to object – Article 21 of the GDPR

The right to object gives data subjects the possibility of objecting, in a particular situation, to the further processing of personal data concerning them if this processing is justified by the performance of public tasks or the safeguarding of public and private interests. Section 36 of the Federal Data Protection Act states that this right shall not apply if a public authority is obliged by legislation to process the data.

7.7 Right to withdraw consent – Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR

If personal data are processed on the basis of your consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR), you may withdraw this consent at any time for the appropriate purpose. The lawfulness of processing these data on the basis of the consent you have given will remain unaffected until we receive notice of withdrawal.

7.8 Right to lodge a complaint – Article 77 of the GDPR

You have the possibility of lodging a complaint against the processing of data by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, who exercises data protection oversight of the federal authorities.