With our Supplier Code of Conduct, we place our suppliers under an obligation to uphold the principles and values anchored in our Code of Conduct and in the Code of Human Rights & Social Principles. As of 2020, suppliers of solutions involving artificial intelligence (AI) must also comply with the requirements of our Digital Ethics Guidelines on AI. Deutsche Telekom suppliers are also under the obligation to do everything necessary to prevent active and passive forms of corruption. We expect our suppliers to impose the same requirements on their subcontractors too.

The Supplier Code of Conduct forms part of our General Terms and Conditions for Purchasing, but does not, of course, supersede the laws and regulations of countries in which our suppliers operate. Rather, it is designed to facilitate compliance with these laws and regulations and ensure that legal requirements are implemented faithfully and effectively. Since 2014, we have offered online compliance training for our suppliers.

When selecting business partners, we conduct compliance business assessments based on the risk of compliance violations. In addition to suppliers, and development and joint venture partners, this applies in particular to certain groups of consultants, such as sales agents. We have created a separate policy for partnerships with them (Consultant Policy).