Overview

• Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt receives a negative award for a security package enabling biometric face searches across the internet and social media by the federal police and the migration office, plus a review of Palantir’s Gotham for potential use by the federal criminal police.
• Google is reprimanded over Gemini’s stealthy installation on Android phones, broad access to usage and communication data including possible full chat histories, and difficult deactivation settings; the company says it pursues responsible innovation.
• TikTok is cited for data protection violations, spreading fake news and hate speech, manipulating users through opaque algorithms, and fostering dependence among minors.
• German courts are criticized for rulings that allowed Amazon’s employee performance monitoring and curtailed a works council’s oversight of data processing, with cases spanning Hannover’s administrative court and the federal labor judiciary.
• The Bielefeld gala marks the 25th edition with a livestream, youth-led prizes flagging iPads in schools and WhatsApp use, and a “Neusprech” award targeting the rhetoric of “Bürokratieabbau” alongside calls for European digital sovereignty.