The Administrative Court of Cologne has ruled in favor of the Federal Press Office (BPA) in its legal challenge against a prior ban on the German government’s Facebook page. The BPA announced the court’s decision on Tuesday.
The ruling effectively overturns a directive issued by the then-Federal Data Protection Officer on February 17, 2023, which had prohibited the page’s operation. It’s important to note that the verdict is not yet legally binding and is subject to potential appeal.
Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that the court’s decision validates the significance of the Facebook presence as a crucial component of the government’s public relations efforts. He emphasized that the government’s mandate to inform citizens about its activities and objectives necessitates alignment with contemporary media consumption habits. Social media platforms, Kornelius explained, represent a central source of information for a large segment of the population.
The Cologne Administrative Court, according to Kornelius, has affirmed that responsibility for ensuring Facebook’s data protection compliance rests solely with Meta, the platform’s parent company. Any queries pertaining to data processing should be directed to Meta for clarification, he added.