Impressumspflicht nach § 5 DDG – für Social Media & Websites
The new Digital Services Act (DSA) has been in force since May 2024. It replaces the old Telemedia Act (TMA) and redefines the legal notice requirement in § 5 DSA. Whether it’s a website, Instagram account, YouTube channel, or TikTok profile:
Anyone conducting business needs a complete and easily accessible legal notice.
Why is there a legal notice requirement?
The legal notice serves to ensure transparency and accountability on the internet. Users and authorities should be able to quickly identify who is behind a website or social media account.
This obligation applies not only to companies, but also to influencers, creators, coaches, artists, and associations as soon as they publish content that is not exclusively private.
Rule of thumb:
Anyone who advertises products,
places advertisements,
or generates revenue must provide an imprint.
§ 5 DSA – The current legal basis
§ 5 DDG stipulates that service providers must keep certain information easily recognizable, directly accessible, and permanently available.
Essentially, nothing has changed in terms of the mandatory information—but the provisions on fines have been modernized, and the term “commercial use” is now interpreted more broadly.
The 7 mandatory details at a glance
1️. Name / Company
– Full name or company name
– For legal entities: specify legal form (“LLC,” “UG limited liability,” etc.)
2️. Management / Authorized representative
– e.g., managing director, owner, board member
3️. Address
– Full address suitable for service of process
– No PO boxes, no “c/o” or fake addresses
4️. Contact details
– Email address and telephone number
–Alternatively: contact form plus quick response option
5️. Commercial register and local court
– E.g., “Commercial Register Cologne, HRB 123456”
6️. Chamber / supervisory authority
– e.g., for doctors, lawyers, tax advisors, architects, etc.
7️. VAT identification number (VAT ID)
– not the tax number!
– if no VAT ID is available: simply omit
1. Name / Company
– Full name or company name
– For legal entities: specify legal form (“LLC,” “UG limited liability,” etc.)
2. Management / Authorized representative
– e.g., managing director, owner, board member
3. Address
– Full address suitable for service of process
– No PO boxes, no “c/o” or fake addresses
4. Contact details
– Email address and telephone number
–Alternatively: contact form plus quick response option
5. Commercial register and local court
– E.g., “Commercial Register Cologne, HRB 123456”
6. Chamber / supervisory authority
– e.g., for doctors, lawyers, tax advisors, architects, etc.
7. VAT identification number (VAT ID)
– not the tax number!
– if no VAT ID is available: simply omit
Legal notice requirement on social media
Social media profiles are also subject to the legal notice requirement if they are used for business purposes.
This applies in particular to:
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Influencers and content creators
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Companies, brands, and agencies
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Artists, musicians, or coaches with a professional online presence
The legal notice must be easily recognizable and accessible—e.g., via:
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A direct link in the bio (“Impressum | rehkatsch.de/impressum”)
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or via link tools such as Linktree, if there is a clear imprint link there.
Warning risks and fines
If a complete legal notice is missing, you may face:
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Warnings from competitors or associations
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Fines pursuant to § 28 DSA
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Possible suspension of accounts on platforms
The risk is particularly high on social media, as legal notice violations are publicly visible and can be easily found automatically.
Review your legal notice or have it drafted
A legally compliant legal notice is not very difficult to create—but small formal errors can be costly.
We check your legal notice or create a legally compliant imprint template—suitable for:
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Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch
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Company websites
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Online shops and platforms