As an internet company, United Internet is laying the foundations for the digital transformation of the economy and society. The Company aims to enable everyone to participate in the digitalization process, and to ensure that this can be done securely and accessibly. From an information security and data privacy perspective, the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of information have top priority. United Internet considers data privacy to be an inalienable basic right. In line with this, enabling customers to decide for themselves just how their data should be handled, and protecting to, is part of United Internet’s DNA.
Material Impacts, Opportunities, and Risks in the Area of Consumers and End-users
United Internet’s digital services influence the people who use these applications in many different ways. As a digital services operator, United Internet bears a high level of responsibility for the user data transferred to it. This includes e.g., e-mails, private photos, or payment data. A lack of data privacy, inadequate cybersecurity, or data center outages could lead to the loss or publication of this sensitive data. This could result in financial losses or psychological damage for those affected, e.g., as a result of identity theft or fraud. Ensuring this is systematically prevented means that digital security and consumer protection are an integral part of the segments’ business models.
United Internet provides the infrastructure and products needed to participate in the digital world by offering and operating telecommunications services, and selling devices and services. United Internet has a social responsibility with respect to the editorial content on Company websites such as WEB.DE and GMX, especially when it comes to the ability to develop informed, well-founded opinions. The dissemination of fake news can lead to readers developing a distorted perception of reality. In the long run, subjective reporting leads to people no longer trusting the news. This makes it easier for bubbles to form in which one-sided content, fake news, and reinforcement algorithms constantly reinforce the user’s perspective and blank out other viewpoints. In the long term, this has serious effects on democracy by suppressing the formation of wide-ranging, balanced opinions.
Youth protection is particularly important in the digital environment, since failing to provide the protective measures required to allow children and young people to access the internet securely can have serious consequences. Insufficient control can lead to content that is harmful to young people, illegal, or politically extreme being distributed by e-mail, advertising, or in editorial contexts. This can lead to psychological damage to young users, affect their digital education, and hence negatively impact their quality of life in the long-term. Parents can also be indirectly affected due to the danger to their children.
In an increasingly digital world, digital participation – i.e., the ability to access digital offerings – is a core issue for United Internet. Poor customer service quality can lead to people losing access to their digital services, e.g., if they are no longer able to log in to their e-mail mailbox and do not receive any help. This can prevent them accessing their online banking programs or material information, something that not only strongly impacts the customer experience and damages trust in digital services, but can also lead to financial and intangible losses for users. The consequences for socially vulnerable groups are often more severe, negatively impacting social inclusion. In turn, this could lead to a social risk for United Internet should customers no longer want to use its services. What is more, a mobile network failure, e.g., due to a data center overload, could not only impact user satisfaction but could also lead to claims for damages, contract terminations, and reputational damage.
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