User Accounts on e-Commerce Websites (EDPB-Recommendation 2/2025)

Bitkom welcomes the European Data Protection Board's (EDPB) Recommendations 2/2025 on mandatory user accounts in e-commerce, in particular the focus on user choice and privacy by design. At the same time, Bitkom warns against effectively favoring guest mode, which could unduly restrict established, lawful, and user-friendly business models. The recommendations should take greater account of freedom of contract, entrepreneurial flexibility, and differentiated business models. User accounts are necessary and advantageous in many cases - for example, for security, contract processing, and customer service - and can be designed to be GDPR-compliant and user-friendly.