Germany: Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection closes consultation on Bill to strengthen civil and criminal protection against digital violence including local operations requirement

On 22 May 2026, the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection closes the consultation on the Bill to strengthen civil and criminal protection against digital violence including local operations requirement. The GgdG would require providers of social networks established outside the European Union to designate a domestic service agent (Zustellungsbevollmächtigter) before offering their services in Germany, with the agent's contact details made readily visible and directly accessible on the service. Service of court documents, pre-litigation notices, and civil cease-and-desist letters in proceedings concerning rights violations or the unfounded assumption of rights violations could be effected on the agent, including in restoration claims for removed content or unblocked accounts and in enforcement steps. The GgdG would additionally allow a German court, in pending civil proceedings concerning rights violations, to order providers established in another EU member state to designate a domestic service agent for that specific proceeding within a reasonable time limit. The case-by-case order against EU-established providers would respond to the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in Case C-376/22, which held that abstract general obligations on providers established in another member state are incompatible with the country-of-origin principle preserved by Article 3 of the Digital Services Act, while individualised orders against unlawful content remain permissible under Article 6(4) of the Digital Services Act. The GgdG would establish administrative penalties of up to EUR 500'000 for intentional or negligent failure to designate a domestic service agent, with the maximum increasing to EUR 5'000'000 against legal persons and associations through the multiplier in the Act on Administrative Offences. The Federal Office of Justice (BfJ) would be the competent administrative authority. The provision would replace the equivalent rule in the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG), which the GgdG would repeal in its entirety.