The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that requiring a mandatory form of address violates the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Find out how to craft appropriate and modern forms of address from now on and what this new ruling means for data protection and linguistic inclusion.
The Ruling and Opportunities for the Event Industry
With this ruling, the ECJ reinforces the principle of data minimisation: companies may only collect the information from users that is necessary for the specific service being provided. According to the ECJ, requiring a mandatory form of address is unnecessary and, therefore, violates the GDPR. A step forward for data protection!
Another advancement is in linguistic inclusion: the ruling encourages businesses to adopt gender-sensitive and modern solutions. The event industry, in particular, stands to benefit from this ruling, provided a few adjustments are made. We show you how to tailor your communication to ensure compliance while maintaining user-friendliness – from registration and mailings to the Visitor Portal.
For most German companies, the topic of “forms of address” and the necessary system adjustments are already known. As early as 2018, the German Federal Constitutional Court ruled that a “third option” must be available alongside “female” and “male” when selecting a form of address or gender. Since then, “diverse” has been required as an additional option.
Our Tip: Eliminating the Form of Address Entirely
Our products already allow for the removal of mandatory forms of address. Throughout various stages of the registration and ticketing process, custom wording can be implemented to meet both legal requirements and the preferences of organisers and exhibitors. We offer wording suggestions that work perfectly without a form of address – a modern and straightforward solution.
The simplest and most modern approach is addressing users by their first name:
Would you prefer to include both first and last names? How about:
Both options work universally, regardless of form of address or gender.
Another possibility is addressing individuals by their specific role:
We also have suggestions for role designations on badges: Using gender-neutral language or abbreviations.
Specific Forms of Address
If you still wish to use a form of address despite these modern and simple alternatives. First: Determine how the individual wants to be addressed. Ask this directly during registration. We suggest offering the following address options:
The preferred form of address is stored in the system and can be used automatically throughout further communication. To enable this, you can configure different address formats in the system, which will be applied accordingly.
Suggestions for Specific Addressing in Emails:
| female | male | diverse | not specified | |
| Hello | Ms. last name | Mr. last name | Mx. last name | first name last name |
| Dear | Ms. last name | Mr. last name | Mx. last name | first name last name |
The ability to remove mandatory forms of address and flexibly implement gender-sensitive wording not only ensures legal compliance but also enhances user experience. Companies that adapt to these changes early are well-positioned for the future. ADITUS supports organisers in implementing these modern and inclusive processes.
