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Leading German companies such as VW and Porsche are blocking access to Facebook over fears of industrial espionage and other online security threats.  

According to business magazine Wirtschaftswoche (Business Week), many of the Dax-30 blue-chip index - 30 major German companies trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange - have issued a ban on employees using social networking forums at work. 

Luxury car manufacturer Porsche has recently restricted access to Facebook owing to concerns of industrial espionage; while energy company E.ON and gas supplier Linde have limited Facebook and YouTube use at some of their offices. 

Construction materials group HeidelbergCement has issued a blanket ban on the use of Facebook and microblogging forum Twitter in the workplace whilst automobile manufacturer Volkswagen has also outlawed 'various social networks'.

Alongside fears that staff may divulge trade secrets on open forums, companies were also concerned that they may expose the firm's internal network to viruses transmitted via links on profile walls.

Automotive group Daimler also cited fears of lost productivity in banning social networking in the office, but a survey by IT company Clearswift revealed that whilst three out of ten German companies fear social media will distract their employees from the job in hand, well over half consider the sites significant threats to company security.

Germany has historically exercised caution with social networking in the office, recently proposing a bill governing workplace privacy that would ban employers from screening applicants for jobs via social networking sites.

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