Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit

What Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit does

The Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (BlnBDI) is the independent state-level supervisory authority of Berlin for data protection (Datenschutz) and freedom of information (Informationsfreiheit). Established as part of the German federal data protection framework and active since at least 1978, the authority enforces the EU General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO), the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), and Berlin-specific information freedom law across the state of Berlin. It is led by Meike Kamp as the responsible officer under § 18 Abs. 2 MStV.

Its service surface is built around a small set of operational capabilities: a PGP-encrypted email channel certified by the agency's own PGP CA (PGP CA BlnBDI) and the joint PGP CA of the Datenschutzkonferenz; online forms for complaints, data breach notifications, and registration of data protection officers; and structured guidance documents covering themes from employment and health to housing, video surveillance, and online platforms. Educational outreach is delivered through two long-running sub-brands, Data-Kids (children 6-13) and YoungData (teenagers and young adults), supplemented by a subscription newsletter, Mastodon presence on the federal social network, and an annual activity report (most recent: Jahresbericht 2025). The authority also runs training programs including "Datenschutzmanagement in der Verwaltung" for Berlin public agencies and "Starthilfe Datenschutz" for startups, small businesses, and associations.

The authority does not operate as a commercial entity. It is funded through the Berlin state budget and provides all services free of charge to citizens, businesses, and Berlin-based public authorities. Its strategic posture combines responsive enforcement (e.g., the June 2026 Landgericht Berlin ruling confirming a GDPR violation by Deutsche Wohnen SE) with proactive supervisory modernization, coordinated nationally through the DSK (Datenschutzkonferenz) and at the EU level through the EDPB/EDSA. Geographic scope is strictly limited to Berlin; supervisory authority over data controllers in other German states sits with the respective state or federal authority.

Name

Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit

Legal name

Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit

Website

https://datenschutz-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (BlnBDI) is the independent state-level supervisory authority of Berlin enforcing GDPR and freedom-of-information law. It serves Berlin citizens, businesses, associations, and public authorities with complaint handling, breach notifications, training programs, and public education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Data Protection Regulation

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAOAH

Data Protection, Privacy & Cybersecurity Regulators

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Regulatory Agencies & Licensing (Cross-sector)

Keywords

• Data protection supervision
• Freedom of information
• GDPR compliance oversight
• Privacy rights enforcement
• Regulatory authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit is the independent data protection and freedom of information supervisory authority for the state of Berlin, Germany. It enforces GDPR (DSGVO) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), handles citizen complaints about data protection violations, processes data breach notifications, registers data protection officers, and oversees freedom of information requests. The authority also publishes guidance documents, conducts training programs for public administration and startups, and operates public education platforms (Data-Kids, YoungData).

Product overview

Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit is a government regulatory authority (Datenschutzaufsichtsbehörde) for the state of Berlin, Germany. It is not a product company but rather a supervisory body that handles data protection oversight, freedom of information matters, citizen complaints, and provides guidance on data privacy. The organization offers regulatory services rather than commercial products or software offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data-Kids: A dedicated website providing data protection education and resources for children between the ages of 6 and 13, operated by the Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit at https://www.data-kids.de/.
• YoungData

Products and services

• Complaint Filing Service (Beschwerde einreichen)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Datenschutzkonferenz (DSK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1978The DSK is the conference of independent data protection supervisory authorities of the German federal government and 16 federal states. It coordinates activities between authorities and establishes common positions for uniform implementation and development of European and national data protection law. The Berlin Commissioner is an active member, contributing to DSK resolutions, orientation papers, and position statements since 1978.
• Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information - the federal supervisory authority for Germany. Together with all state authorities, the BfDI participates in the DSK to harmonize data protection standards nationwide.
• All German State Data Protection Authorities (16 Bundesländer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 16 German federal states have independent data protection supervisory authorities that collaborate through the DSK. Member authorities include those from Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia.
• Europäischer Datenschutzausschuss (EDSA) / European Data Protection BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Data Protection Board coordinates data protection supervision across the EU/EEA. The German supervisory authorities contribute through the DSK to EDSA guidelines and decisions. The Berlin Commissioner publishes EDSA guidelines in the Infothek section of their website.
• Virtuelles Datenschutzbüro (datenschutz.de)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWebsite of the public data protection control institutions providing information and resources about data protection in Germany.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD): Spain's national data protection authority. Performs the equivalent statutory function to the BlnBDI, with comparable focus on GDPR enforcement, citizen complaints, and public education.
• Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen: Data protection and information freedom authority for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. Closest functional peer to the BlnBDI, operating under identical German legal framework and DSK membership.
• Landesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Baden-Württemberg: State-level data protection and freedom of information authority for Baden-Württemberg. Direct functional equivalent of the BlnBDI, providing guidance, complaint handling, and DSK coordination for its own jurisdiction.
• Garante per la protezione dei dati personali: Italy's national data protection authority. EU peer with the same mandate as the BlnBDI — GDPR enforcement, complaint handling, and guidance issuance — operating within a comparable European legal framework.
• Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP): The Netherlands' national data protection authority. Direct EU peer performing identical GDPR supervisory functions, complaint handling, and DSK/EDPB cooperation roles as the BlnBDI.
• Hamburgische Datenschutzbehörde: Independent data protection supervisory authority for the city-state of Hamburg. Near-perfect functional peer given Hamburg's similar city-state status and shared DSK membership.
• Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (BayLDA): Data protection supervisory authority for the state of Bavaria, with the same statutory role as the BlnBDI but serving a far larger jurisdiction and business base. Coordinates with the BlnBDI through the DSK.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI): The federal German data protection and freedom of information authority. Performs the same statutory function as the BlnBDI but at the federal level, with jurisdiction over federal agencies and cross-state matters; the two authorities coordinate through the DSK.
• Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL): France's national data protection authority and a leading EU regulator. Performs the equivalent function as the BlnBDI at the national level, with substantially greater resources and a wider regulatory footprint including the lead DPA role under the EU's one-stop-shop mechanism.
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): The UK's independent data protection authority. Functional equivalent to the BlnBDI at the national level, handling GDPR-equivalent oversight, complaint resolution, and public guidance on a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berliner-beauftragte-f%C3%BCr-datenschutz-und-informationsfreiheit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit