GermanyWhat are my rights regarding social media platforms and my data?
You have strong rights under the GDPR and German law to control how social media platforms collect, use, and share your personal data — including rights to access, correct, delete, and object to processing.
What the Law Says
Your rights regarding social media data in Germany stem primarily from the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), directly applicable in Germany, and supplemented by national provisions like BGB § 823 for civil liability when your personality rights are violated.
Social media platforms are 'data controllers' under the GDPR and must comply with strict principles: lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.
You have enforceable rights including: the right to be informed; access your data (Art. 15 GDPR); request correction (Art. 16); erasure ('right to be forgotten', Art. 17); restrict processing (Art. 18); data portability (Art. 20); and object to processing (Art. 21), especially for direct marketing.
If a platform violates these rules and harms you — e.g., by scraping or publishing your data without consent — you may seek compensation under both GDPR Art. 82 and German tort law.
Statutory TextWer vorsätzlich oder fahrlässig das Leben, den Körper, die Gesundheit, die Freiheit, das Eigentum oder ein sonstiges Recht eines anderen widerrechtlich verletzt, ist dem anderen zum Ersatz des daraus entstehenden Schadens verpflichtet.
— BGB § 823 — German Civil Code
What Courts Have Said
German courts confirm that unauthorized use of personal data from social media can trigger civil liability — but only if real, identifiable harm goes beyond mere annoyance.
GDPR damages claim for unauthorized data scraping. A data subject whose personal data was scraped from a social media platform and published without consent may claim damages under Art. 82 GDPR if they suffered identifiable harm beyond mere annoyance.
What to Do
Review the platform’s privacy policy and settings — adjust visibility, ad preferences, and third-party sharing.
Submit a GDPR access request (Art. 15) via their official channel — they must respond within 30 days.
File a complaint with the German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) if unresolved.
Consult a lawyer if you suffered tangible harm (e.g., reputational damage, financial loss) — you may sue for damages under BGB § 823 and GDPR Art. 82.
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Related Questions
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: June 2026.