The latest developments following the US election underline the dangers to democracies posed by large online platforms. They must therefore be effectively regulated and supplemented with alternatives that are geared towards the common good. This is what a broad alliance of representatives from civil society, churches, trade unions, consumer protection and the digital economy is calling for in an open letter to the CDU/CSU and SPD. Digital platforms polarize discourse and promote the division of society, strengthen anti-democratic forces and contribute to the exclusion of minorities. These tendencies also make it more difficult to solve urgent social problems such as the climate crisis.

The signatories are therefore calling for clear steps to be taken: firstly, existing digital regulations such as the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act as well as competition law must be applied consistently. Secondly, regulation must be supplemented in a targeted manner, for example with regard to the transparency of algorithms, tracking-based advertising and addictive design as well as interoperability obligations. Thirdly, the German government must advocate the establishment of democratically controlled, public-interest-oriented and sovereign digital infrastructures.