OS platform (EU dispute resolution) shut down: what to change in your Impressum

Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read

What was the ODR platform?

A platform run by the EU Commission through which consumers and traders were supposed to settle disputes from online purchases out of court. Online traders had to put a link to it on their website. Many Impressum pages still contain this sentence today, often with the link to ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

What has changed?

The EU discontinued the platform because it had little effect. According to the IHK (German chamber of commerce) and trader associations, it was shut down on 20 July 2025 and the duty to link to it no longer applies. A link that leads nowhere can even cause trouble, because it misinforms consumers.

What do I need to do?

1. 1

   Search your Impressum, terms and conditions and, where relevant, order confirmations for the reference to the ODR platform.

2. 2

   Remove the sentence and the link.

3. 3

   Check whether the notice duty under § 36 VSBG applies to you.

What applies under § 36 VSBG?

Businesses that run a website or use terms and conditions must tell consumers whether they are willing or obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board. The statement belongs on the website and, if you have terms and conditions, in them. Under § 36 (3) VSBG, businesses that employed ten or fewer people on 31 December of the previous year are exempt.

A typical sentence reads: We are neither willing nor obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board. For small businesses below the threshold it is voluntary.

What else belongs in the Impressum?

Under § 5 DDG (German Digital Services Act), among other things: name and address, for legal entities the legal form and authorised representatives, a quick way to contact you electronically, register entry and VAT ID number if you have them. Violations can be fined up to €50,000 under § 33 DDG. More in the guide Impressum and privacy policy.

This article is for orientation only and is not legal advice.

When we migrate a website at freeehouse, we check the Impressum and privacy policy for outdated details such as the ODR link and agree changes with you. We have you confirm mandatory details, we never guess. We do not charge for the build. How freeehouse works

Which Impressum details often go out of date?

When we migrate websites, we keep seeing the same outdated details:

• the link to the discontinued ODR platform
• the reference to the Telemediengesetz (Telemedia Act), replaced by the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (Digital Services Act) since May 2024, so § 5 TMG is now § 5 DDG
• old phone numbers or email addresses
• names of former managing directors or owners
• a missing register number after an entry in the commercial register

A quick look once a year prevents most mistakes.

Does a very small business need to write anything about arbitration?

If you employed ten or fewer people on 31 December of the previous year, you are exempt from the notice duty under § 36 (3) VSBG. A voluntary sentence does no harm but is not necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• § 36 VSBG Allgemeine Informationspflicht, accessed 23 October 2026
• § 5 DDG Allgemeine Informationspflichten, accessed 23 October 2026
• § 33 DDG Bußgeldvorschriften, accessed 23 October 2026
• IHK: EU-Plattform für Online-Streitbeilegung wird abgeschafft, accessed 23 October 2026

Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.

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