Spotlight: Disinformation and the German election

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society invites you to the second “Spotlight” event. You can expect short inputs and exciting discussions on current topics. The event will take place online via Zoom and in English.

Spotlight: Disinformation and the German election 

Online discussion round
10.02.2025 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm (CET)
Online via Zoom

The Role of Disinformation and Regulation in the German Election

As Germany prepares for its next federal election, the digital landscape is facing critical changes that could shape the democratic process. With Meta’s recent decision to scale back fact-checking efforts in the US and Elon Musk openly supporting the German far-right party on his platform X, urgent questions around the effects on democratic discourse and voter trust, especially with regard to the spread of disinformation online, need to be examined. At the same time, the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) introduces a new regulatory framework to hold platforms accountable.

Join us for an engaging discussion exploring the intersection of platform regulation, misinformation, and democracy:

• Meta’s Policy Changes: What does the reduction in fact-checking mean for tackling fake news during the election period?
• The DSA in Action: How is the new regulatory framework shaping accountability and transparency for digital platforms?
• Impact on Democratic Discourse: How do these shifts influence public trust, voter behavior, and campaign strategies in Germany?

This event will shed light on the challenges and opportunities of navigating a rapidly evolving digital environment during one of Europe’s most closely watched elections. The event is part of the DSA research network project funded by the Mercator Foundation.

Experts: 

Ann-Kathrin Watolla, joined the DSA research network in April 2024 to monitor and improve the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) within an interdisciplinary research alliance. In her research, she focuses on communication in the context of digitality at the interface of society, technology and education. Ann-Kathrin has a multidisciplinary background in linguistics, cultural studies, media studies and educational sciences. She completed her doctorate at Hamburg University of Technology on the changes in the communicative construction of reality in the context of digitality and the concomitant competence requirements for teachers.

Felix Kartte, is a Senior Fellow at Stiftung Mercator, a policy advisor and technology expert. He frequently advises the EU Commission and other public institutions on digital policy. He started his career as a researcher and journalist and has covered digital democracy for outlets such as Süddeutsche Zeitung and Politico. During his time at the European Commission and European External Action Service in Brussels, he advanced the EU’s strategy for countering digital threats in collaboration with international partners such as NATO and the G7 and worked on policy files such as the European Democracy Action Plan and the Digital Services Act.

Moderation:

John Albert is an associate researcher at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law. As a contributor to the Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory, he recently examined DSA enforcement around the Romanian elections and analysed the first rollout of reports detailing how major tech platforms assess and manage systemic risks. He previously worked at the Berlin-based NGO AlgorithmWatch, advocating for effective transparency rules to support the DSA’s framework for platform accountability and risk oversight. He holds master’s degrees in public policy from the Hertie School and journalism from Columbia University.

Participation

Please register for this event using the registration form below. You will receive a zoom link and access data by email shortly before the event. If you have any further questions, please contact Sarah Spitz directly (sarah.spitz@hiig.de).

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