Data in return: OLG Cologne confirms line
The Higher Regional Court (OLG) Cologne has ruled that the provision of personal data within the framework of services does not constitute a "total price" in the sense of consumer protection information obligations. This means that when providing services, companies are not required to explicitly state how much the total price arises from the transmission of data. The decision underlines that the processing of data in the context of services is not automatically considered an additional cost or fee, unless the data serves as a direct equivalent for the service.
The case shows how important it is to know the legal limits of data processing. Companies must continue to ensure that they process personal data only in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. The decision of the OLG Cologne clarifies that the obligation to provide information is not automatically transferred to data processing within the framework of services. Nevertheless, compliance with the GDPR and other data protection laws remains important.
AI fraud at US colleges and the overburdening of justice by ChatGPT are other examples of how digital technologies bring both risks and opportunities. In the US, students have been trapped by AI-assisted fraud attempts at community colleges to sneak in student grants. At the same time, the use of AI tools in the judiciary leads to an increase in unresolved cases as the courts are overwhelmed. These developments underscore how complex the effects of AI and data processing can be.
In the UK, employees use ChatGPT and similar AI tools to create lawsuits, overburdening the judiciary. This shows how easily AI tools can be integrated into everyday work, but also how important it is to recognize the limits of use. While using AI tools to create legal documents can be efficient, in some cases it leads to unresolved legal issues or wrong decisions.
Anthropic has also enabled Auto-Mode in Claude Code by default to increase the security of IT projects. Auto Mode protects developers from dangerous commands and ensures that AI tools can be used safely and responsibly. This measure underlines the importance of considering AI tools not only as tools, but also as security aspects.
## What does this mean for your company? The decision of the O.L.G. Cologne shows that the processing of data in the context of services is not automatically regarded as additional costs. Nevertheless, you must continue to ensure that you process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. It is important to know the legal limits of data processing in order to avoid breaches and to ensure the basis of trust with customers and partners.
## How ISN/xynap supports this xynap’s GDPR compliant infrastructure and AI modules ensure that personal data is handled in accordance with legal requirements.