Yep, that’s how it works in Germany. There are laws that cover many cases for, i.e., lease contracts, online shopping, digital services. The terms of service just cover the specifics and cannot contain “surprising” or “unusual” things. The general idea is that a normal consumer neither have the knowledge nor the time to understand in depth legalese.
As one example, which is a quite similar case, the standard lease contract for apartments in Germany is 4 pages. In the USA I’ve had between 21 and 27 pages so far.
I would really like to know what the exact problem is: I have been "freiwillig versichert" for years as a freelancer, no need to have an official employment.
I had my CV checked at a recruiting event at my University here in Germany. While officially the employers are not allowed to require a picture or the age, I was told that both is a must.
To my knowledge in Germany you should include a decent sized picture, your birth date, and your nationality. If you do not include this, your risk your application to be trashed, at least with larger and more traditional companies.
The cover letter should be no longer than one page, the CV must not be longer than two pages.
It is also important to directly address the person in charge, so call them if in doubt and ask who is responsible and if you should include a picture.
As one example, which is a quite similar case, the standard lease contract for apartments in Germany is 4 pages. In the USA I’ve had between 21 and 27 pages so far.