Residents’ registration office sells your address

Just imagine: Your address, your name – everything is passed on.
Not to friends. Not even with your permission.
But directly from the residents’ registration office.
➡️ For a few cents per data record.

It happens every day. And the best thing is: it’s completely legal. As long as you don’t do anything about it.

Your data at a bargain price

In Berlin, for example, one organization paid only €2,600 for 295,000 addresses. Do the math yourself: That’s less than 1 cent per person. And the situation is similar in other cities:

This data comes from official sources – partly in response to press inquiries, partly made public.

What exactly do the offices give out?

According to § 50 of the Federal Registration Act (BMG), residents’ registration offices may pass on the following data on request:

• First and last name

• Address (current registration address)

• Doctorate

• even the indication of whether someone has died

This disclosure is possible without your active consent if you do not object.

Is that even allowed?

Yes – according to the current law, yes.
§ 50 Para. 1 BMG allows registration authorities to release this data – among other things for:

• Parties

• Press inquiries

• Directory publishers

• Broadcasters

• Churches

• and many more

You will not be informed about this. You won’t be asked either. It happens automatically.

What can you do about it?

You can object. In writing – directly at your local residents’ registration office.

This is made possible by § Section 50 (5) BMG: “An objection to the information can be entered in the register of residents by any citizen upon request. […] A statement of reasons is not required.”

• You don’t have to justify anything.
• You can do it at any time.
• And it protects you permanently.

The right legal document is your sample objection on PepperPapers.de – legally secure, simple and without a lawyer.

And why is this being done?

Some cities argue that the sale of data “helps to improve the budget”. But how high is this “profit” really?

Example calculation Frankfurt am Main:
19,146 data records for €700 → approx. €0.04 per address
If the office had instead used the individual query provided for by law (€10), over €190,000 would have flowed into the city coffers.

Conclusion

• Your residents’ registration office may sell your data

• The price for this is ridiculously low

• Those affected are not informed of this

• But: You can disagree – and you should

Data protection is not a luxury – it’s your right.
Get your sample objection now at PepperPapers.de

Plus: make sure and follow up! Has the residents’ registration office shared your data? If so, with whom? You can do this with this legal document!