The Administrative Court of Cologne has ruled in favor of the Federal Press Office (BPA) in its legal challenge against a previous ban on the operation of the German Federal Government’s Facebook page. The BPA announced the verdict on Tuesday, confirming the annulment of a decision issued by the former Federal Data Protection Officer on February 17, 2023, which had prohibited the page’s operation. The ruling is not yet legally binding.
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius stated that the verdict affirms the significance of the Facebook presence as an integral component of the government’s public relations efforts. He emphasized that the government’s mandate to inform citizens about its activities and objectives requires engagement with channels used by the public and that social media platforms have become a central source of information for many.
The Cologne Administrative Court validated the position that responsibility for ensuring data protection compliance on Facebook rests solely with Meta, the platform owner. Kornelius added that any inquiries regarding data processing should be directed to Meta.
