Germany: Final report on consumer law investigation into mobile apps

The German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) released the results of its consumer law investigation into mobile apps on 29 July 2021, which was started in October 2020. The Bundeskartellamt concluded that app users are not sufficiently informed on who has access to their data, how their data is used and who they are concluding a contract with when downloading an app or making in-app purchases. The option to search for consumer-friendly apps, clearer terms of use, as well more transparency in the area of data handling, are some of the recommendations stated in the report. The Bundeskartellamt does not have the power to sanction any violations of consumer law.