Overview
- A resident objected to being named in a municipal birthday greeting, prompting the Baden‑Württemberg authority to open a procedure and seek Tübingen’s guidelines and a formal statement.
- The authority says current law no longer grants a statutory basis for publishing jubilee announcements in municipal gazettes, though officials may request permission before any notice.
- Officials cite growing online access to local bulletins and risks such as so‑called grandchild fraud schemes as reasons to handle personal data more cautiously.
- Mayor Boris Palmer posted the authority’s letter on Facebook, including the caseworker’s name and phone number, and criticized the inquiry as bureaucratic overreach.
- The data protection office reports numerous similar complaints across the state, and the Tübingen case remains under review.