80 years after the liberation: Democracy in danger from hatred on the net!

80 years after the liberation: Democracy in danger from hatred on the net!

On April 25, 2025, in Germany and other parts of Europe, the liberation of National Socialism will be reminded. This year marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Germany and Europe from the Nazi rule. Numerous memorial events and speeches for German surrender and the exemptions from the concentration camps take place throughout Germany. In Torgau in particular, where American and Soviet soldiers met in 1945, they begin.

However, the festivities can be seen against the background of worrying social developments. A fifth of the German electorate now opts for a right -wing extremist party. This goes hand in hand with a deep distrust of democracy; Surveys show that more than half of the population has little trust in the current democratic structures.

The role of digital media

Political scientists like Francis Fukuyama warn that social media contribute to the decomposition of social consensus and democracy. Digital platforms promote specific filter bubbles that create distorted facts and their own truths and thus increasingly polarize political discourse. This has direct consequences for the political commitment of citizens. According to a study in which Janina Steinert from the Technical University of Munich is involved, almost half of the politically committed people who are already affected by digital violence have changed their communication habits. Regular users of such platforms are increasingly faced with threats and hatred.

women are particularly affected by this phenomenon, which leads to further inequality in the political landscape. Yvonne Magwas, CDU member of the Bundestag, warns that persistent attacks endanger democratic coexistence. Her colleague Anna-Lena von Hodenberg from Hateaid therefore urgently demands measures to protect politically committed and create contact points for those affected by digital violence.

Digital Services Act and Freedom of Opinion of opinion

The operators of social media platforms are increasingly under pressure to take measures against hate comments and false information. The Digital Services Act (DSA) sets a framework here to act against such content. However, developments such as the purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk, which emphasizes close connections to maintain freedom of expression, raise questions about the implementation of such measures. Under his leadership, more than half of the 7,500 employees, many of them from the field of fighting hate speech and false information.

courts in Germany are already calling for a stronger responsibility of Twitter in relation to illegal content, while internationally there is a growing concern about the effects of the social network on political discourse. Well -known companies have already set their advertising measures on Twitter, which illustrates the consequences of these digital developments.

The current political and social developments require a deeper examination of the question of how digital media influence our democracy. Let us use this anniversary as an occasion to defend and strengthen the common coexistence and the values ​​of democracy.

Further information can be found at t-online href = "https://www.nationalgeographic.de/wissenschaft/2025/01/haass-im-detz-wie-digitale-die-die- Democracy-Gefaehrden"> National Geographic-Hass on the Internet , and National Geographic-Digital Media and Democracy .