New cookie law: This is how your company protects user rights!

New cookie law: This is how your company protects user rights!

In an exciting first leg of the ProA final, the Science City Jena team prevailed against the BSW Sixers with 85:79. This decisive victory should set the course for winning the title. The encounter took place on May 30, 2025 in the Jena Sparkasse Arena and offered the spectators a rousing and emotional basketball game. Thanks to a strong team performance and strong nerves, Science City Jena was able to gain a lead in the final phases of the game, which will ensure a good starting position for the second leg next weekend. Particularly outstanding was the performance of Jena's top scorer, who scored decisive points in crisis situations and thus led the team to victory.

The success comes at a time when the basketball scene in Germany continues to be in focus. Important decisions have also been made recently at the political level. On September 4, 2024, the federal government passed a new regulation on consent management services based on the Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG). The aim of this regulation is to improve the surfing experience and reduce annoying cookie banners. Users now have the option to permanently store cookie choices and companies are encouraged to reconsider their cookie practices while the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remain in place. The new regulations came into force on September 4, 2024 and underline the need for website operators to obtain informed consent for cookies, as well as detailed disclosure of their cookie use.

Important changes to the cookie regulation

The new regulations that emerged from the TDDDG have been in force since December 1, 2021. These include, among other things, that cookie banners are no longer allowed to contain pre-selected options, which represents a fundamental change in the way personal data is handled. Before the introduction of the TDDDG, an opt-out was required, while now active consent is required to strengthen user privacy.

The regulations are important for all companies that process data from EU citizens. Violations of the new requirements could result in fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of annual turnover. This is also due to increasing public sensitivity regarding data protection and privacy. The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection has also recognized new consent management services to help companies meet changing requirements.

Transparent cookie policies as best practice

Companies are required to adapt their cookie policies to the new requirements and to implement transparent consent procedures. Best practices include, but are not limited to, clear information, granular consent options, and the use of recognized consent services. This is particularly important as non-compliance can result in legal risks and reputational damage. A current practical case already shows the consequences of an inadmissible cookie banner - an initial conviction for such violations has already taken place. The pressure on companies to take their customers' data protection seriously is constantly growing.

Amid the exciting events in basketball and the ever-evolving data protection legal framework, it is critical for those involved to stay informed and compliant. This could be groundbreaking, especially for the ProA and other leagues – both on the field and in the services they offer their fans and customers.

Further information about the first leg of the ProA final can be found on the Basketball Bundesliga website 2basketballbundesliga.de. The new data protection regulations are also essential for companies, as can be seen on the websites of the external data protection officer externer-datenschutzgesetzeser-dresden.de and Dr. Data protection dr-datenschutz.de.