Telecommunications companies are legally obliged to support security authorities in their efforts to uphold security. Companies’ obligations in this regard include permitting surveillance/monitoring measures, and providing certain data, when they are ordered to do so by authorities.

Internationally, the legal framework in this area differs widely from country to country. In some countries, we are legally prohibited from providing any information about security measures, while in others authorities may directly conduct surveillance without any participation on the part of telecommunications companies. The support we provide for authorities in this area is always provided solely on the basis of an unambiguous, legally binding legal foundation in the relevant country. Details on the different situations in the relevant countries are available on our website.

We place great priority on transparency in this area. Since 2014, we have published an annual transparency report for Germany; since 2016, we have also published an international transparency report. In these reports, we reveal – to the extent legally permitted – the nature and extent of any information we had to disclose to security authorities.