Judgment against Vodafone: Mobile customers finally get more clarity

Vodafone and other mobile phone providers have been in court for a long time: the so-called zero-rating offers, in which certain apps do not consume any data volume, are a thorn in the side of consumer advocates. In the case of Vodafone, the decision has now been made.

Vodafone accepts verdict: Vodafone Pass via tethering must not be ruled out

Many customers who have concluded their mobile phone contract with Vodafone have to be prepared for changes that are imminent. The popular additional option Vodafone Pass will no longer exist in its current form. The previous judgment of the European Court of Justice has now been implemented in Düsseldorf and has already been recognized by Vodafone. Now it's the provider's turn to implement the decision.

The Federal Association of Consumers (vzbv) had sued the Vodafone Pass because of the tethering ban. Anyone who was able to watch Netflix, for example, via the mobile phone contract with the appropriate option without using up their data volume could only use this function via their cell phone. It was not possible to transfer the data advantage to other devices via a hotspot - for vzbv this was a violation of the freedom of end devices.

The courts have now agreed to this (source: vzbv), Vodafone must improve. So far, however, everything is still the same. Interested parties can read the information about the Vodafone Pass: "You cannot share the Vodafone Pass with other devices via hotspot", as you can also see in the screenshot:

At vzbv they are satisfied with the result, board member Klaus Müller says:

The ECJ ruling against the Vodafone Passport sets an example for net neutrality and is a victory for consumer protection. The ECJ confirms the vzbv's position that selected products that privilege certain consumer behavior restrict and discriminate against internet traffic. In their current form, zero-rated products like the Vodafone Passport have nothing to do with free internet for all consumers.

Are particularly well suited for data-hungry applications such as gaming, 120 Hz-enabled smartphones:

New rules for the Vodafone Pass still unknown

However, it is still unclear how exactly the new regulation will look in the future. The tethering clause must not be continued as before. However, the ECJ was even more fundamentally disturbed by the zero-rating offers that other providers also offer. It is doubtful that enabling tethering is enough. Customers who use the Vodafone Pass can now at least be a little more certain about what works and what doesn't. Vodafone had previously stated that it would take the necessary steps to comply with the ECJ ruling.