Volkswagen is being targeted by data protection authorities. The authorities in Lower Saxony are currently investigating how Europe's largest car manufacturer and its sales organization handle customer data. According to the trade magazine "kfz-betrieb", the passing on of data and the bonuses linked to this by the manufacturer are being criticized. According to the report, various Volkswagen partners have contacted the competent supervisory authority for data protection in Lower Saxony. "Inquiries and submissions made to me by VW service partners in this context have led to an investigation that has not yet been completed," a person familiar with the matter from the Lower Saxony data protection authority confirmed to "kfz-betrieb".



The Wolfsburg-based company is clueless and does not want to know anything about the matter. Volkswagen is not currently aware of any such investigation by the State Commissioner for Data Protection of Lower Saxony, a VW spokesperson told "kfz-betrieb" when asked.



With the amendment of the Federal Data Protection Act in September 2009, the legislator strengthened the rights of consumers. Individuals are to be protected against the unauthorized disclosure of personal data to third parties. However, manufacturers and importers often link bonuses such as the conquest bonus and the customer service bonus to the disclosure of customer data. These are only paid out if the sales and service partners achieve a certain quota when passing on data.



As Europe's largest manufacturer, Volkswagen AG plays a special role in the industry. In recent years, more than one in five new registrations in Germany was a Volkswagen: in 2011, the Federal Motor Transport Authority counted almost 689,000 new Volkswagen registrations. Other Group brands are Audi, Skoda and Seat.



The complete and comprehensive article will be published in "kfz-betrieb" issue 27 on July 5, 2012. The latest news can also be found at www.kfz-betrieb.de.



"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for over 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German Motor Vehicle Trade (ZDK), the professional interest group for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. News from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German providers of specialist information with over 100 trade journals and over 100 web portals as well as numerous international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrated its 120th birthday in 2011