Germany is facing a challenge with “online radicalization” and a Green Party MP is calling for stricter control over social media platforms to combat extremist content. Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the Bundestag’s European policy committee, emphasized the need to stop the spread of anti-constitutional content on the internet.
Hofreiter suggested that social media platforms that do not comply with German laws and remove extremist content should be blocked, with X (formerly Twitter) being named as a potential target. However, he also advised that blocking platforms should be a last resort, urging the government to use digital tools, like deploying digital agents on platforms like Telegram, to identify potential criminals.
This push for tighter control over social media comes in response to recent incidents in Germany, including a shooting and a knifing rampage. Other countries have also taken steps to regulate social media, such as Brazil imposing a ban on X for failing to delete offending messages. The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was recently arrested in Paris on various charges related to the platform’s users.
Germany’s efforts to combat online radicalization and extremist content are part of a larger global trend to regulate social media platforms and protect against harmful content.