BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz)
The BFSG is Germany's law transposing the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) into national law. It requires private-sector ecommerce, banking, e-books, and certain hardware to meet accessibility requirements aligned with EN 301 549. Effective date: 28 June 2025.
Detailed explanation
The BFSG (Federal Accessibility Strengthening Act) was passed in July 2021 and took effect on 28 June 2025 for new products and services. It is enforced by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) and per-state market-surveillance authorities.
Penalties under BFSG §37 include fines up to €100,000 per infringement (and significantly more for repeated or systematic violations under additional EU competition rules). German consumers and consumer-protection associations can also issue Abmahnungen (formal warning letters) demanding immediate remediation, with damages and legal costs payable by the violator.
How this applies to Shopify stores
BFSG applies based on customer location, not merchant location. Any Shopify store accepting orders from German consumers is subject to BFSG for the German-facing surface. The Abmahnung pre-litigation channel is the most-active enforcement vector — German consumer-rights associations are aggressive about issuing them.
Primary source: bundesnetzagentur.de