body: [§ 5 of the Telemediengesetz (German)](http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tmg/__5.html) lists what, for instance, website providers have to include in the typically called [*Impressum*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressum#Webpages) of the website.
  
  
  The second sentence of (1) is:
  
  
  
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  > Angaben, die eine schnelle elektronische Kontaktaufnahme und unmittelbare Kommunikation mit ihnen ermöglichen, einschließlich der Adresse der elektronischen Post,
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  Which [according to cgerli.org](http://www.cgerli.org/index.php?id=50&tx_vmdocumentsearch_pi2%5BdocID%5D=1438) ([PDF](http://www.cgerli.org/fileadmin/user_upload/interne_Dokumente/Legislation/Telemedia_Act__TMA_.pdf)) translates to:
  
  
  
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  > details which permit rapid electronic contact and direct communication with them, including the electronic mail address,
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  **Does the term *elektronische Post* (which translates to *electronic mail*) necessarily mean email (via SMTP)?**
  
  
  Of course one would immediately think of email (and some might use this term as synonym for "E-Mail", but it’s not really idiomatic), but then why doesn’t it say "E-Mail" or "SMTP"?  
  
  Because it doesn’t explicitly say so, my assumption is that it doesn’t *have* to be an email address, but just some address that allows to communicate electronically. Like a term for a category of communication protocols (i.e., protocols which allow to send messages in electronic form) instead of refering to the specific [SMTP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Mail_Transfer_Protocol). (Which would make sense, because email might lose popularity, and then the law wouldn’t have to be updated.)
  
  
  So, *must* it be an email address ([RFC 6068](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6068)) or *may* it be an address for a different protocol that allows to send/receive messages in the Internet?
  
  
  
title: Is "elektronische Post" (§ 5 Telemediengesetz) necessarily email?