Federal Interior Minister Faeser has decided to do more to combat disinformation. An early detection unit is to be set up in your ministry. But the plans are still vague.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants to identify and mark lies from fake accounts or manipulated photos and videos more quickly. In mid-February, the SPD minister announced that she would set up an early detection unit. It is part of their plan to combat right-wing extremism.
For Faeser, German right-wing extremists and foreign autocrats have something in common: “They want to stir up anger and divide, especially through disinformation.” According to her, these campaigns must be recognized early in order to be able to stop them.
Germany is not sufficiently prepared
For Konstantin von Notz, the fight against disinformation is overdue. In an interview with the ARD capital studio he says: “We have serious doubts that it is sufficiently covered.”
The Green Party deputy is chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee. This is intended to monitor the work of the secret services. The committee recently warned that it is not enough to look at individual attacks in isolation. The strategy behind it must be recognized in order to be able to assert oneself against it.
Greens are calling for better networking
Russia in particular is concerned with dividing German society. For example, through propaganda in the media, by supporting extremist groups or promoting migration, as a report by the Parliamentary Control Committee says.
Von Notz calls Faeser’s early detection unit “a step in the right direction.” According to him, it is important to better network the many different security authorities with one another. But not only that. Every individual must understand that influence, polarization and manipulation take place every day, especially via social media. “You have to take this seriously,” said von Notz.
CDU proposes warning app Disinformation before
His deputy on the parliamentary control committee is Roderich Kiesewetter. The CDU politician also says that the federal government could do more to combat disinformation. And he also has an idea like: a disinformation warning app – similar to the NINA warning app, which warns of natural disasters, for example.
According to Kiesewetter’s idea, such an app not only warns people about disinformation, but also allows citizens to ask questions.
It is not yet clear whether the planned early detection unit in the Federal Ministry of the Interior will also do this. The ministry has asked for information about the unit’s tasks and its size BR24 Nothing to find out so far. From there it just says: The votes are underway. It is currently planned that the unit will begin its work gradually from the summer.
Early detection unit should start in the summer
In the Bundestag, Faeser recently advocated for more money for this area: “We have to arm ourselves even better against dangers that have long been present. This means investing more financially in our country’s civil defense – in the analogue and digital space. “
In addition to financial questions, legal questions are likely to arise: After all, platform operators can quickly suspect censorship if a government unit classifies social media content as disinformation.
Björn Dake, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 27, 2024 8:06 p.m