German consumer organizations and regulators are urging the government to appoint a national authority for artificial intelligence oversight, following Germany’s missed EU deadline of August 2 to notify the European Commission of its market surveillance authorities for AI Act compliance.
Thomas Fuchs, Hamburg data protection commissioner, requested prompt designation of AI market surveillance authorities, including data protection supervisory bodies. Fuchs stated, “Due to the delay, companies and authorities are now missing their binding contact person for questions about the AI regulation. This is also a disadvantage for Germany as a location for AI innovation.”
Lina Ehrig, head of digital at the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV), expressed similar concerns. The VZBV warned unsupervised AI could allow companies to manipulate consumers or exploit individual weaknesses, citing real-time voice analysis in call centers as an example. Ehrig stated, “There needs to be a supervisory authority that keeps an eye on this and acts against violations. That hasn’t happened so far.”
A Commission official confirmed some EU member states submitted appointment notifications, which are under consideration, but most missed the deadline. Euronews reported in May that with three months until the early August deadline, authority nominations remained unclear in at least half of the member states.
Despite the absence of national regulation, the Hamburg data watchdog has begun developing capabilities and training personnel for complex AI system tests in anticipation of legal designation. The regulator previously questioned Meta regarding its AI tools. The AI Act became effective in August 2024, with provisions applying gradually. This month, national authorities require appointment, and regulations for general-purpose AI providers, including ChatGPT, Claud AI, and Gemini, are set to commence application.
