Policies in the Area of Consumers and End-users

This chapter primarily addresses consumers and end-users who are customers, i.e., United Internet’s Retail Customer area. In line with this, reporting focuses on the Consumer Access and Consumer Applications segments that serve this customer group. Consequently, when this chapter talks about “customers”, it always means actual people, i.e., end-users, and not corporate customers.

United Internet groups its business customers – i.e., companies and organizations – in its Business Applications and Business Access segments. These segments of the Company are addressed in the next chapter of this report.

However, since the United Internet segments’ business focus does not make a strict distinction between retail customers and business customers, the policies and actions described can impact both groups of customers.

United   Internet pursues clear policies designed to protect consumers and end-users in all of the services that it offers. These include digital security guidelines, data privacy actions, and strategies for improving customer satisfaction. United   Internet’s internal Data Privacy Policy mandates a uniform level of data privacy, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the way in which personal data must be handled. As regards information security, the Company focuses on complying with international standards such as ISO 27001 and on statutory requirements such as the German Telecommunications Act (Telekommunikationsgesetz – TKG). The policies aim to ensure that the protective goals for user data – confidentiality, availability, and integrity – are met.

With respect to its human rights policy, United   Internet focuses primarily on consumer protection in the areas of data privacy, personal privacy, and compliance with the GDPR . United   Internet has implemented wide-ranging policies and actions to do justice to this sensitive topic. Consumers can use a number of different channels, such as the customer service organization or Integrity Line – the whistleblower system – to express their concerns and needs. The Company uses education and transparent communication to help raise awareness for digital security and personal privacy among consumers. As part of the process, the latter are also informed about the reporting channels and how to access them. United   Internet strengthens the creation of trust in the services it offers through regular security audits and feedback channels, and by including customers in the product optimization process. Initiatives such as “E-Mail made in Germany” also help to ensure high security standards. What is more, channels such as the whistleblower system permit anonymous, data-protection compliant reporting of potential breaches of the rules , thus ensuring protection from reprisals. In this way, United   Internet treats both concerns and issues responsibly.

See E-Mail made in Germany (in German only).

United   Internet informs consumers proactively about the various policies and actions for the IROs that are relevant to them. There are a number of channels for this: In addition to press coverage and the Sustainability Report, the segments use specialized websites, newsletters, help pages, blogs, and the customer service organization to provide information about data privacy rules and contact options.

Children and young people play a particular role in the Retail Customers area since the internet is a core factor for them in communication, in researching lessons, and for entertainment. Developmentally appropriate actions are needed to ensure adequate protection from potential dangers and to enable them to navigate the internet safely. Special policies for this group, including those developed by Youth Protection, are described in a separate chapter.