It is the “right of informational self-determination” that prevents enterprises or government agencies from simply doing whatever they like with the data of private citizens. This legislation guarantees the fundamental right of individuals to determine whether and how their data should be used or released. It emerged out of the general right to privacy in the context of the “Census Ruling” handed down by the German Federal Constitutional Court in 1983. The idea behind it is this: if I can’t determine and monitor myself who knows what about me, when and on which occasions, I will tend to behave more cautiously. And that will hinder my freedom of action and undermine the democratic principle. It is for this reason that the restriction of this fundamental right and the clandestine harvesting of personal data by government agencies is subject to strict limitations.