Hannover Buys Fake Microsoft 365 Licenses for Schools

April 28, 2026, 8:01 am | Read time: 2 minutes

Hannover aimed to better equip its schools digitally by purchasing Microsoft software worth over 300,000 euros. However, the city ended up choosing the wrong license package, causing significant issues with the planned implementation.

Large Investment with Unexpected Outcome

The digitalization of German schools continues to progress slowly. In addition to a lack of funds and slow administrative processes, a lack of expertise also seems to play a role. This is particularly evident in Hannover.

As reported by the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” (paywall), the city invested a total of 324,000 euros in Microsoft 365 Education licenses in 2025 to use in schools. Despite criticism, the city decided to make the purchase, arguing that the software would be relevant in the students’ future careers. However, the attempt ended in a misstep.

Data Privacy Breach Copilot Reads Confidential Emails Despite Lock

Data Privacy Issue Microsoft Makes Numerous Customer Data Transparent

Data Protection Error Leads to Wrong Licenses

Before purchasing around 60,000 software licenses, Hannover’s city administration failed to involve the data protection officer. This oversight led to the selection of an unsuitable license model. According to the report, the city entered into contracts with data processing regulations not intended for use by children and adolescents.

As a result, the acquired applications cannot be used. The introduction of Microsoft 365 in the city’s schools is therefore suspended indefinitely. According to the report, authorities are required to involve a data protection officer whenever planned processing of personal data could pose significant risks to those affected. In practice, such a review usually takes place before procurement.

Also of interest: WhatsApp will soon stop working on these smartphones

Delayed Review

The city conducted the required review only after the purchase and recognized the wrong licenses too late. Now it pays twice. A new procurement of Microsoft 365 Education licenses is already planned. To ensure everything is correct this time, the city commissioned a data protection impact assessment. Only after its results will the software be procured again, this time with correct data protection conditions.

The case is also sparking discussions, as the data protection of Microsoft software in schools has been critically viewed for years. According to “Golem.de“, responsibility is often shifted to schools, which can hardly manage the administrative burden.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.