- Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the abolition of anonymity on the Internet.
- Merz asks that users use their real names online.
- He warned that algorithms and AI could threaten liberal democracy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for an end to anonymity on the internet, saying social media users should post under their real names. TASR writes about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who’s saying (what),” Merz said on Wednesday evening at an event organized by his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the western city of Trier. “In politics, we engage in debates in our society under our real names and without masks. I expect the same from everyone who criticizes our country and our society,” he said.
Merz criticized the defenders of anonymity on the Internet. He said that “often these are people who, from the shadow of anonymity, demand the greatest possible transparency from others.” The chancellor warned that liberal democracy is under threat. He added that he underestimated the extent to which algorithms and artificial intelligence can be used for targeted influence campaigns. According to him, such tools make it possible to manipulate opinions and undermine the foundations of a free society.
At the same time, he drew attention to the high level of activity of children and teenagers on social networks. Earlier on the political podcast Machtwechsel, he said he was open to proposals to limit children’s access to social networks. He pointed to concerns that excessive screen time is affecting young people’s development.
Before the CDU congress on Friday, one of the regional branches of the party proposed to limit the accessibility of social networks such as Instagram, TikTok or Facebook for persons over 16 years of age. Therefore, individual platforms would have to verify the age of their users. In response, Merz declared that he likes this initiative.
