The creation of this new entity has been approved today by the European Commission, pursuant to the European Union Merger Regulation.

The four companies will take equal 25% stakes in a newly-formed joint venture holding company, to be based in Belgium and run by independent management under the oversight of a shareholder-appointed supervisory board.

The joint venture is the outcome of a project launched by Vodafone and run by the four operators to develop a technological solution for digital advertising in Europe. The platform has been designed from the outset to be compliant with European data protection policy such as GDPR and the ePrivacy directive. The partners have already initiated a trial in Germany. Other trials are being considered in France and Spain to further develop the platform and it is intended to make it available to any operator within Europe.

The trial platform requires affirmative opt-in consent by the consumer to activate communications from brands via publishers. The only data that is shared is a pseudo-anonymous digital token that cannot be reverse-engineered. Consumers are free to opt in or deny consent with a single click, as well as revoke any other consents given either on the brand’s or publisher’s website, or via a dedicated, easily accessible privacy portal.

The platform is specifically designed to offer consumers a step change in the control, transparency and protection of their data, which is currently collected, distributed and stored at scale by major, non-European players.

The trial run by Vodafone last year successfully tested the platform on Vodafone’s and Deutsche Telekom’s networks in Germany, together with online publishers and advertisers. This enabled the four operators to evaluate the platform’s ease-of-use in providing consumers with greater control and transparency over how brands communicate with them. Furthermore, the initiative has examined how consumers’ personal data is used and their privacy protected in the online advertising ecosystem, while upholding the principles of a free Internet. 

The joint venture will outline its vision and strategy in due course, including its plans for adopting the trial technology commercially.

 

For further information, please contact:

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
Corporate Communications
E-Mail: medien@telekom.de
Tel: +49 228 181-49494
About Deutsche Telekom AG - www.telekom.com

ORANGE S.A.
Media Relations
Tom Wright
E-Mail: tom.wright@orange.com,
Tel: +33 6 78 91 35 11
About Orange S.A. – www.orange.com

TELEFÓNICA S.A.
Corporate Communications
E-Mail: prensatelefonica@telefonica.com
About Telefónica S.A. - www.telefonica.com

VODAFONE GROUP PLC
Corporate Communications
E-Mail: Group.Media@vodafone.com
About Vodafone Group – www.vodafone.com

 

About Orange

About Orange Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. The Group aims to be the trusted partner for everyday digital life by providing individuals, businesses and communities with reliable connectivity and innovative services. As of the end of 2025, Orange connects 340 million customers (including MasOrange) across 26 countries and generated 40.4 billion euros in revenues.
As a trusted player, Orange leverages the excellence of its very high-speed broadband networks to deploy digital infrastructure in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The Group is a European leader in fiber, with 100 million connectable households, and convergent offers. In France, Orange connects 34 million customers and was ranked No. 1 by the regulator Arcep for the quality of its mobile network for the 15th consecutive year. In Africa and the Middle East, the Group’s growth engine, Orange serves nearly 180 million customers and promotes digital and financial inclusion through its connected solutions.
Under the Orange Business brand, the Group supports companies in transforming their networks as well as in AI, trusted cloud and cybersecurity. Orange is also a major player in the wholesale market, where it has a leading global telecom infrastructure and significant capabilities for deploying and operating submarine cables. A committed innovator, Orange relies on 700 researchers and holds a portfolio of 11,000 patents.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA). More information: www.orange.com. 

Orange and any other Orange product or service names mentioned in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.