Effective protection

Safe interaction with ICT is one of the prime concerns at Deutsche Telekom as a partner for connected life and work.

The daily work of every ICT company includes saving and processing a gigantic volume of customer information. Only through this is it possible to invoice customers and itemize their bills in order to render cost transparency and clarity.

Protecting customer data has top priority at Deutsche Telekom. And throughout the Group, Deutsche Telekom implements a standardized and high level of data protection. At both domestic and international levels, the Privacy Code of Conduct is the fundamental basis for processing data – immaterial whether this data pertains to customers or employees. On one of its own web pages, at www.telekom.com/datenschutz (German), Deutsche Telekom provides transparent and detailed information on all developments and events concerning data privacy and protection in Germany.

Youth protection
We consider it one of our major duties to encourage and simultaneously protect children and young people in dealing with modern digital media. The focus of our work with respect to protecting minors in the media is on enhancing media competency among children and young people, for instance, through offers with appropriate content suitable for their respective age, such as the T-Online Kids Portal. At the same time, we offer parents effective mechanisms for protecting their children against inappropriate content.

The most important preventive measure for us is an open dialog on media, media content and its impact. For this reason, Deutsche Telekom sponsors initiatives and projects aimed at increasing awareness among children, young people and their parents on the risks of digital media and providing guidance on how to be critical and responsible in the use of such media. Throughout Europe, Insafe, a network of national initiatives, has set itself the task of coordinating education work on Internet safety.

An important contribution is also made by the SaferInternet initiatives which Deutsche Telekom supports in Greece and the Czech Republic. In Germany, Insafe is represented by klicksafe.de. As a member of the council of experts, Deutsche Telekom has taken up an advisory role in supporting the project.

Protection against spam, viruses and worms
Each day, Deutsche Telekom customers receive around 240 million e-mails. Approximately 90 percent of these e-mails are undesired spam mails. Since they are able to congest the e-mail accounts and potentially carry viruses, Deutsche Telekom offers its customers effective protection against spam mails. T-Online offers a virus check for free.

In addition, a series of self-help guides and short workshops are available online, explaining step by step, for instance, secure online banking, protecting one’s own WLAN network or secure shopping on the Internet. To enhance a mentality of safe and secure use across Germany, Deutsche Telekom is committed to the “Germany safe on the Net” initiative.

In all, thirteen members comprising representatives from society, politics and business are part of the security initiative. “Germany safe on the Net” offers user-friendly tools for protecting PCs and conducts specific awareness projects.