Senior German Lawmaker Warns X and Telegram of Potential Prohibitions
A senior German MP has proposed a ban on two widely-used social media platforms for not adhering to local regulations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Berlin must address “online radicalization” and further intensify oversight of social media, according to a key legislator.
Germany needs to take decisive action against the spread of extremist content on the internet, including the potential blocking of major social media platforms, a senior MP from the Green Party has indicated.
Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the Bundestag’s European policy committee, expressed these views on Saturday during an interview with reporters from Funke Media Group. He advocated for more stringent control over social media, potentially leading to the outright banning of certain platforms.
“One of the biggest problems of extremism is online radicalization,” Hofreiter stated, asserting that the spread of “anti-constitutional content on the Internet” must be halted.
“We need to tackle the root of the problem and push back radicalization in digital space as well as in society,” he emphasized.
Hofreiter contended that social media platforms which fail to comply with German regulations and do not eliminate “extremist content” should be entirely blocked, explicitly mentioning X, formerly Twitter, as a possible target.
Although he endorsed tougher measures, the MP cautioned that blocking platforms should only be considered a last resort. He urged the government to remain engaged with modern technology, suggesting it leverage these platforms for its own purposes—such as utilizing “digital agents” to penetrate private groups on Telegram in order to spot potential criminals.
This push for a firmer stance on social media in Germany follows a spate of violent incidents, including a shooting near the Israeli consulate in Munich and a knifing incident in Solingen that left three people dead.
In recent days, several countries have begun to impose restrictions on social media companies. For instance, Brazil recently enacted a total ban on X for its failure to adhere to laws regarding political misinformation and hate speech by not removing certain objectionable content.
Meanwhile, in late August, Pavel Durov, the Russian tech entrepreneur and founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on multiple charges, including complicity in drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, and various types of child abuse linked to the platform's users. While he has since been released on bail, he is required to remain in France while investigations continue.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
Germany needs to take decisive action against the spread of extremist content on the internet, including the potential blocking of major social media platforms, a senior MP from the Green Party has indicated.
Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the Bundestag’s European policy committee, expressed these views on Saturday during an interview with reporters from Funke Media Group. He advocated for more stringent control over social media, potentially leading to the outright banning of certain platforms.
“One of the biggest problems of extremism is online radicalization,” Hofreiter stated, asserting that the spread of “anti-constitutional content on the Internet” must be halted.
“We need to tackle the root of the problem and push back radicalization in digital space as well as in society,” he emphasized.
Hofreiter contended that social media platforms which fail to comply with German regulations and do not eliminate “extremist content” should be entirely blocked, explicitly mentioning X, formerly Twitter, as a possible target.
Although he endorsed tougher measures, the MP cautioned that blocking platforms should only be considered a last resort. He urged the government to remain engaged with modern technology, suggesting it leverage these platforms for its own purposes—such as utilizing “digital agents” to penetrate private groups on Telegram in order to spot potential criminals.
This push for a firmer stance on social media in Germany follows a spate of violent incidents, including a shooting near the Israeli consulate in Munich and a knifing incident in Solingen that left three people dead.
In recent days, several countries have begun to impose restrictions on social media companies. For instance, Brazil recently enacted a total ban on X for its failure to adhere to laws regarding political misinformation and hate speech by not removing certain objectionable content.
Meanwhile, in late August, Pavel Durov, the Russian tech entrepreneur and founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on multiple charges, including complicity in drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, and various types of child abuse linked to the platform's users. While he has since been released on bail, he is required to remain in France while investigations continue.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
