Social media platforms should be more effectively regulated: German chancellor

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday called for stricter regulation of social media platforms, arguing they must not become spaces where fake videos and hate speech spread without consequences.

“If the weekly newspaper Die Zeit were to publish a false claim, one could immediately demand a correction from the paper. The social media platforms, however, claim they bear no responsibility for such matters,” he said during his speech at a German Catholic gathering in Wurzburg.

Merz warned about the threat of disinformation on social media and noted that there is an ongoing debate within the European Union about better regulation of social media platforms.

“Individuals making false claims on social media are often impossible to identify by their real name. This means that, in the wake of digitalization and the broader development of AI, we are facing entirely new challenges,” he said.

He also said the German government is discussing possible social media restrictions to protect children, but reiterated that he opposes a general ban.

“We now know that—particularly among young people, some of whom spend four, five, or even six hours a day glued to their screens—this usage is having a significant impact on their cognitive abilities; and not for the better,” Merz said.