Union faction leader Thorsten Frei blames the federal government for failures in the fight against hate and incitement on the internet after the Magdeburg attack.
“Naturally, the federal government should have done more to push back against the ‘Wild West’ in social media” Frei told the Stern. Germany used to be a pioneer in the fight against hate on the internet with the NetzDG law from the grand coalition era. “Now we’re at the back of the pack.”
The Magdeburg attacker allegedly wrote on the X/Twitter platform before the attack that he would be killed, wished for Angela Merkel’s death, and threatened revenge on Germany. Frei said: “The federal government should have established a structure to handle such tips in a sensible way.” Otherwise, he warned against hasty judgments: “We should be careful not to judge too quickly. The investigations are only just beginning.”
For the period after the federal election, the CDU politician promised the introduction of data retention and improved control possibilities in public space. “We need to step on the gas, as the past three years have unfortunately been lost years” Frei said.