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Bundestag Elects Moritz Hennemann as Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner

His election signals a likely shift toward pro-business data policy, raising questions about the transparency of his selection.

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Der Bundestag hat den Freiburger Rechtswissenschaftler Moritz Hennemann zum neuen Bundesbeauftragten für Datenschutz gewählt. Hennemann erhielt am Donnerstag klar die nötige Kanzlermehrheit. Der 41-Jährige soll zum 1. Oktober sein Amt antreten.
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Overview

  • The Bundestag elected Moritz Hennemann on Thursday, June 25, 2026, with 391 votes in favor, 122 against and 77 abstentions.
  • Hennemann will take office on October 1, 2026, for a five-year term while incumbent Louisa Specht‑Riemenschneider will continue to run the office until September 30 for health reasons.
  • Hennemann is a 41-year-old professor at the University of Freiburg who has published widely on data law, the EU Data Act and the Data Governance Act and is known for advocating data use for innovation and business.
  • Civil society and reporters noted that no public recruitment or transparent selection process was held and that Hennemann has a limited public record on freedom-of-information work, which is part of the BfDI mandate.
  • The appointment could shift enforcement priorities toward enabling data-driven business models and make oversight of privacy and access-to-information a key area to watch for changes in how Germany applies GDPR-era rules.