German Data Privacy Commissioner warns that Copyright Directive clashes with GDPR

 

26 February 2019

German Data Privacy Commissioner Ulrich Kelber issued an official statement (originally in German with approved English translation available here) warning that article 13 may interfere with the GDPR. Specifically, they note that due to the low number of filter-technology companies, the mandated use of such filters may indirectly lead to a concentration of user data in these companies, in turn leading to an oligopoly. Referring to a recent decision by the German Federal Cartel Office in regards Facebook (which specifically mandates against such concentrations of data), Kelber goes on to state that “data privacy considerations require a thorough overhaul of the [Copyright Directive]”.