A significant majority of Germans now demand tougher measures against manipulated Artificial Intelligence (AI) content spread across digital platforms. These findings come from a new Forsa survey commissioned by the organization Campact.
According to the survey, 92 percent of respondents believe that major technology firms, such as Meta, TikTok, and Google, should be more consistently monitored and penalized if they fail to remove AI-manipulated content. Opposition remains low, with only seven percent disagreeing and one percent remaining undecided. This demand for stricter regulations was strongest among younger demographics, with 94 percent of those aged 14 to 29 supporting tougher rules. The poll, which surveyed nearly 1,000 people in early May, also revealed that most respondents favor a preventative approach, arguing that platforms generally should not allow the initial upload of manipulated AI content.
Among the respondents, two-thirds (67 percent) demanded that platform operators prohibit such uploads from the outset. While 29 percent found it acceptable to examine manipulated AI content only after it had been published and reported, support for a general ban was notably higher among women (74 percent) compared to men (60 percent).
Astrid Deilmann, the managing director at Campact, stated to the “Rheinische Post” that the results clearly show that the majority no longer wishes to tolerate AI fake content. Deepfakes involving politicians, fabricated voices, and AI-generated personalities are poisoning public discourse and have no place in public debate. She urged the federal government to take strong action against major platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google, arguing that these companies profit millions from such fake content. Specifically, she called for stricter penalties and fines if the platforms fail to uphold their duty to delete such material, as well as mandating a pre-publication check for sophisticated AI manipulations.