Data protection scandal: Deutsche Bahn in court for data misuse!

Data protection scandal: Deutsche Bahn in court for data misuse!

On May 19, 2025, a significant hearing will take place before the Frankfurt am Main regional court that will bring the data protection practices of Deutsche Bahn (DB) into focus. Consumer advocates from Digitalcourage e.V. are suing DB for significant data protection violations that affect millions of people. The lawsuit is a civil lawsuit that was filed in October 2022 after Digitalcourage e.V. issued an ultimatum to correct the deficiencies. The oral hearing begins at 11:30 a.m.

The controversial “DB Navigator” app, used for train information, ticket bookings and subscription management, has over 80 million downloads. Despite its free use, it is criticized that user data such as the number of travelers, the day of departure and the start and destination stations are passed on to third parties. The app contains trackers that monitor user behavior without their express consent.

Privacy concerns and consumer rights

Digitalcourage e.V. emphasizes that Deutsche Bahn is violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG) by using these trackers. The data protection advocates criticize the fact that users have no opportunity to object to the data being passed on and that the railway is allowed to pass on information to up to ten companies, including Google and Adobe. According to consumer advocates, this leads to a “digital compulsion” because for many travelers there is no alternative to using the app.

Stiftung Warentest has confirmed the allegations and criticized the fact that the DB Navigator app transmits more data than is necessary for ticket allocation. While Deutsche Bahn argues that some data is essential for ticket selection, consumer advocates criticize the unnecessary data transfer as disproportionate.

Statement from Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn declares that it only uses the data collected in accordance with legal regulations. She also states that consent to data processing would be necessary to maintain the functionality of the app. However, experts argue that the need for data to use the app is unconvincing and that alternatives should be created to protect user data.

Digitalcourage e.V. not only wants to maintain the debate about data security in the context of the railway, but also strengthen fundamental consumer rights. padeluun, co-founder of Digitalcourage, has appeared as a plaintiff and criticizes the forced use of the app. Attorney Peter Hense, who represents padeluun, is convinced that DB's practices violate applicable data protection laws.

Next Monday we will see how the court will decide on these important questions and what measures may be taken for the future of data processing in public transport. The negotiation could not only have an impact on Deutsche Bahn, but also on other providers in the area of ​​public services.

For more information on the allegations against Deutsche Bahn, readers can read the articles Mercury and Datasecurity.de see.