In the face of recent political interventions by US billionaire Elon Musk and changed fact-checking rules at the Meta corporation, Juso chief Philipp Türmer demands the expropriation and socialization of social media.
“Social networks are a relevant part of our public sphere. The corporate structures that have emerged need to be broken and socialized” Türmer said in a statement, as reported by the ntv broadcaster. The head of the SPD’s youth organization wants to put the platforms in the hands of the users. “In this regard, the model for the integration of public broadcasting in Germany can be a good example” the SPD politician writes.
The chairman of the SPD’s youth organization also demands a confrontation with the question of whether, in a democracy, entrepreneurs and corporations should still be allowed to concentrate such power over the public digital spaces. Türmer clearly rejects this. Social networks belong in public ownership, “so that we are no longer at the mercy of the good will of narcissistic billionaires like Musk and Zuckerberg” he said, looking at the owner of X and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
To justify this, the Juso chief refers to the latest political statements by Musk: “Elon Musk is pushing right-wing voices and hosting a digital election event on X with the AfD leader.” He also criticizes the end of fact-checking on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram in the US. Zuckerberg, he says, is bowing to Trump and sending the unwanted fact-checkers to retirement. One sees that billionaires with power over the digital public sphere are supporting fascists, regardless of whether in the US or Europe. The billionaires are playing with the stability of democracy.