Friedrich Merz
Stories
Friedrich Merz Again Calls for an End to Online Anonymity
The chancellor would like to be clear that free speech is not a value he shares. He would also like your name.
Germany Fines Citizens a Month’s Wages for Insulting Chancellor Merz on Facebook
The fine isn’t really about the money, it’s about teaching everyone else to never criticize power.
Court Forces German Chancellor Merz to Open Files on 300 “Insult the Chancellor” Cases
The Chancellor who calls himself a defender of democratic norms now has roughly 300 prosecutors working to protect his feelings.
Friedrich Merz’s Push to End Online Anonymity Has a Troubling Subtext
Germany already has laws that let politicians prosecute citizens for insulting them online and Merz just wants to remove the last step between a critical post and a knock on the door.
Macron, Merz, and Von Der Leyen Defend Expanded Speech Controls
The Munich Security Conference just became a defense session for Europe’s most ambitious censorship regime.
Germany’s CDU Pushes Real-Name Social Media Mandate and ID Checks
The party could ask Germans to show their papers before they can post a tweet.
Germany Rejects EU “Chat Control” Law, Effectively Halting Mass Surveillance Proposal
Germany blocks EU Chat Control plan as Friedrich Merz, Stefanie Hubig, and Irene Mihalic defend encryption and digital privacy rights.
Germany Targets X Executives in Unprecedented Criminal Probe Over Refusal to Hand Over User Data in “Hate Speech” Cases
German prosecutors are testing whether the reach of their censorship laws can outstrip the guardrails of international treaties.
Germany Rejects US Free Speech Criticism as Social Media Arrests Fuel International Condemnation
Berlin insists on free speech, even as memes come with a price tag and a warrant.
Germany’s CDU-SPD Coalition Eyes Stricter Online Speech Controls
Germany’s plan to police online speech reads less like policy and more like a control manual in beta.
State-Approved Truth May Be Making a Comeback in Berlin
Germany’s SPD proposes Medieninnovationsfonds as AfD rises and coalition talks weigh public media funding.
