Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority clarifies expectations for securities firms to keep online order taking available during peak demand

Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) issued a supervisory communication clarifying its expectations for securities service providers, aiming to ensure banks and brokers can accept online orders without disruption, including during periods of high utilisation. Institutions are expected to minimise the risk that customers are excluded from trading via apps and other online applications for technical reasons, after such disruptions temporarily occurred in early April following US tariff announcements. The communication also focuses on firms’ contingency planning and on customer communications if technical incidents occur despite preventive measures. BaFin Executive Director Dr Thorsten Pötzsch discusses the background to the communication and the supervisor’s further approach in an interview on BaFin’s website, which also sets out how consumers should proceed in the event of technical disruptions.