Deutsche Telekom not required to follow data retention laws

Deutsche Telekom is not required to store communications data from its customers under Germany’s data retention laws given that these laws are incompatible with European law, ruled the Administrative Court of Cologne.

The court said it was following a ruling from the Higher Administrative Court of Muenster last year that found Germany’s data retention regime violated EU law by exceeding limits the European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposed on the extent of data retention in its own prior ruling. Given the primacy of EU law over domestic law, Telekom is not required to follow the German legislation as a result in this case, it said.

Source: Deutsche Telekom not required to follow data retention laws – German court – Telecompaper