Meret Schneider, a Green National Councillor, has made a decisive proposal in the fight for regulating social media. As an active user of the platform X (formerly Twitter) since 2013, she speaks out for a ban of X to protect democracy.
Her statement that “X or TikTok must be blocked if necessary” has sparked a broad discussion. But what’s behind this demand and what does it mean for the democratic understanding in Switzerland?
Schneider sees platforms like X as a “threat to democracy”, particularly in the context of the upcoming German elections. She criticizes that these platforms support content like that of the AfD, while opposing voices are suppressed.
“Posts that benefit the AfD are pushed, while opposing content is suppressed” Schneider said.
She therefore demands urgent regulations and, in the worst case, even blocking of platforms that, in her opinion, foster these dangers.
However, her stance raises questions: Is a platform ban a solution? Wouldn’t this be an intrusion into the freedom of opinion and a worrying step towards censorship?
Schneider’s tolerance seems to be bound to her own perception of democracy and danger – what she considers dangerous should be banned.
The Green politician is often praised in the internet by left-wing media and politicians for her over-the-top stance and her engaged green-liberal activism. As a Zurich native, she is not afraid to loudly express her liberal and green political opinion, which has made her a kind of “Cervelat celebrity” in the small digital world of German-speaking Switzerland. But her latest tweets have crossed boundaries and instead of the platform X, she herself was blocked. Is she seeking greater fame on the world stage?
However, her stance on regulating social media is not unproblematic. The question remains: Who decides which content is considered dangerous and which is not? And who determines what the “right” democracy is?
Schneider was recently blocked by X after a tweet about populism in Switzerland sparked controversy. She had complained about the polarization and populism in the Swiss political system and called on her followers to react ironically, which was interpreted as threatening by some, leading to the blocking of her account and a broad controversy, with her being labeled a “censorship advocate”.
In a now non-findable tweet, she wrote: “Write your online comments now, why polarization and populism are really the worst and you should hang those overpaid politicians at their own damn Bundesterrasse! (Don’t forget the capital letters) #populismus.”
Schneider is not alone in demanding stronger regulation of social media. The EU has been working on a law to regulate tech giants since 2022 and Switzerland is also preparing a law that orients itself at the Digital Services Act of the EU. However, despite the pressing demands for regulation, there is also resistance. Representatives of SVP and FDP warn of the dangers of state censorship and the loss of the freedom of opinion.
Franz Grüter of SVP describes the regulation as “highly dangerous”, while Andri Silberschmidt of FDP asks whether regulation is even the right tool.
Switzerland is facing a difficult decision: Should it join the increasing regulation of social media to protect democratic values, or should it preserve market freedom and the rights of users?
Meret Schneider’s demand for a ban of X is a remarkable proposal that heats up the debate on censorship and freedom of opinion in the digital world.