Johannes Heidelberger to head the Digital Services Coordinator at the Bundesnetzagentur
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.06.12
As from 1 July 2025, Johannes Heidelberger will take over as head of the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC). The President of the Bundesnetzagentur put forward the candidacy, which was confirmed yesterday by the Federal Cabinet. Approval of the appointment is given by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.
As Head of the Digital Services Coordinator, Johannes Heidelberger will endeavour to develop the DSC both with respect to organisation and staff with the aim of ensuring that the Digital Services Act (DSA) can be effectively implemented. He takes over as head of DSC from Klaus Müller, who has been the acting head since May 2024.
"Johannes Heidelberger is committed to European cooperation and ensuring a good working relationship with other German governmental bodies. He will use his energy and expertise to develop and advance platform regulation,"
said Klaus Müller.
About Johannes Heidelberger
He has been with the Bundesnetzagentur since 2012, amongst others he has held the position of private secretary and head of executive office for the former president of the Bundesnetzagentur Jochen Homann and as head of section for digitalisation, online networks and internet platforms.
His professional career started in the Foreign Office as a public administration graduate. Subsequently he obtained a Master’s in Regulation from the London School of Economics, followed by positions working in Brussels and Stockholm amongst others.
Tasks of the Digital Services Coordinator
The DSC, based at the Bundesnetzagentur, is the central coordinating body for enforcement of the DSA in Germany. It monitors intermediary services including online platforms for compliance with their obligations. It acts as a central point for complaints by online users when the DSA has been violated and coordinates cooperation between competent authorities in Germany and the EU.
The DSC certifies out-of-court dispute settlement bodies and trusted flaggers. It also handles applications by researchers to gain access to the data of very large online platforms and search engines.
In its enforcement of the DSA, the DSC works together with the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media (BzKJ), the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia coordinating for the media authorities of the federal states, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI), the European Commission and the DSCs of other Member States.