Glossary
TTDSG (German Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act)
The TTDSG is Germany’s federal law that, among other topics, regulates access to information stored on a user’s device — including cookies and similar identifiers. It works together with the GDPR: the TTDSG often sets the ground rules for when you need consent before setting non-essential cookies, while GDPR governs how personal data from those technologies is processed.
What changed for websites
Since late 2021, many German sites must treat non-essential cookies and comparable tracking like the ePrivacy model: consent before storage or access, with narrow exceptions for strictly necessary uses. Marketing and analytics tags that used to load on page view often need an explicit opt-in first.
Practical impact: your banner, tag manager, and server-side tags must align — and you need evidence that Reject is honored, not only that a CMP is installed.
TTDSG vs. GDPR
- TTDSG — when you may store or read on the device (cookie / similar tech rules in Germany).
- GDPR — how personal data from those technologies is processed, documented, and protected.
- Both apply to many German-facing properties; EU visitors elsewhere may trigger additional national implementations of the ePrivacy framework.
Auditing under German expectations
Regulators and courts care about what loads in practice. A documented cookie list that does not match a live session is a common finding. CookieComply scans production or staging in Chrome so privacy and marketing teams can show which trackers fire before consent — without deploying another visitor-facing script.
Frequently asked questions
- Does TTDSG replace GDPR for cookies?
- No. They overlap: TTDSG addresses device storage and access rules in Germany; GDPR still applies to personal data processing. Your privacy notice and records should reflect both.
- Do I need a German-specific audit if I only target the EU?
- If you serve users in Germany, TTDSG is relevant. A live cookie audit helps regardless of country — it shows what actually loads so counsel can map obligations.