Wegweiser Consumers · Your rights when buying and contracting Deutsch

đź”’ Data protection and advertising for consumers

You can demand access to your data and object to advertising. Credit agencies such as the Schufa must provide information free of charge once a year.

Data protection GDPR (DSGVO) Access request Objection to advertising Schufa Consent Cookies Newsletter

In brief

Companies may only use your data if there is a legal basis. You have rights against companies.

  • You can demand information about stored data.
  • By its own practice, the Schufa provides information free of charge once a year; Art. 15 DSGVO has no annual limit.
  • Advertising calls and advertising e-mails require your express consent.
  • You can withdraw consents.

Step by step

  1. Request accessIn writing to the controller: Art. 15 DSGVO.
  2. Object to advertisingObject in writing to the use of your data for advertising.
  3. Withdraw consentsNewsletters, cookie banners, prize draws.
  4. ComplaintReport to the data protection authority or the Verbraucherzentrale.

Deadlines

Free access (Schufa: once a year)
Schufa data copyArt. 15 Abs. 3 DSGVO has no annual limit; a fee only for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests (Art. 12 Abs. 5 DSGVO). "Once a year" is Schufa practice according to the Verbraucherzentrale.
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Legal bases and response deadlines (Art. 12, 15, 21 DSGVO) were not retrieved from the statutory text here.
  • § 7 UWG requires prior express consent for telephone, fax and e-mail advertising.
  • Do not fall for dubious "data deletion" offers that cost money.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Access

For the Schufa and every other credit agency, the Verbraucherzentrale names free self-disclosure via meineschufa.de with a "data copy (under Art. 15 DSGVO)". Art. 15 Abs. 3 DSGVO has no annual limit; a fee is permitted only for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests (Art. 12 Abs. 5 DSGVO). "Free once a year" is the Schufa's practice according to the Verbraucherzentrale.

Advertising

§ 7 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 and 2 UWG: telephone advertising without prior express consent, and advertising by automated calling machine, fax or electronic mail without prior express consent, is an unreasonable nuisance.

Not checked

The right to object to direct marketing under Art. 21 DSGVO, the controller's response deadline and the competence of the Länder data protection authorities were not retrieved in this research.

Who is responsible
  • Responsible company
  • Länder data protection authority (Landesdatenschutzbehörde)
  • Verbraucherzentrale
Further reading
Cold calling and unwanted callsReminders, debt collection and Schufa

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Data protection and advertising for consumers“?
You can demand access to your data and object to advertising. Credit agencies such as the Schufa must provide information free of charge once a year.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
Free access (Schufa: once a year): Schufa data copy (Art. 15 Abs. 3 DSGVO has no annual limit; a fee only for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests (Art. 12 Abs. 5 DSGVO). "Once a year" is Schufa practice according to the Verbraucherzentrale.)
What should I do first?
  • Request access: In writing to the controller: Art. 15 DSGVO.
  • Object to advertising: Object in writing to the use of your data for advertising.
  • Withdraw consents: Newsletters, cookie banners, prize draws.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Legal bases and response deadlines (Art. 12, 15, 21 DSGVO) were not retrieved from the statutory text here.
  • § 7 UWG requires prior express consent for telephone, fax and e-mail advertising.
  • Do not fall for dubious "data deletion" offers that cost money.
Evidence
  • Verbraucherzentrale, Was tun bei einem Schufa-Eintrag?, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • gesetze-im-internet.de, § 7 UWG, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • Search result on Schufa self-disclosure, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.