Von der Leyen preempts her own experts and wants a social media ban: Before her youth protection experts can comment, Ursula von der Leyen is demanding a social ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/es-ist-meine-ueberzeugung-von-der-leyen-kommt-eigenen-fachleuten-zuvor-und-will-social-media-verbot/
Those who want to exclude children must ban anonymity: VPNs are a loophole for young people to circumvent social media bans. This is the conclusion of an ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/wissenschaftlicher-dienst-des-ep-wer-kinder-ausschliessen-will-muss-anonymitaet-verbieten/
What porn actors say about the deepfake flood: Recordings of porn actors provide the template for sexualized deepfakes. But the public doesn't see them as ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/gemeinsam-kaempfen-das-sagen-pornodarstellerinnen-zur-deepfake-flut/
Using Lego bricks against the White House: Iran is winning several battles against the Trump administration with AI-generated Lego clips - | at least online ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/iran-dominiert-im-slopaganda-krieg-mit-legosteinen-gegen-das-weisse-haus/
IT adjustments in Germany will cost at least 150 million euros: There is only one month left until a new European asylum system comes into effect ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/gemeinsames-europaeisches-asylsystem-it-anpassungen-in-deutschland-kosten-mindestens-150-millionen-euro/
Other people's cars: Educational videos about dangers in road traffic are just as necessary as the attempt to build ever safer cars ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/fremde-autos/
In a fresh guise: netzpolitik.org in a fit check: After more than nine years with the same design, our site has a new look. Why was this necessary ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/307-off-the-record-im-frischen-gewand/
"You can also break cameras": Behavioral scanners, facial recognition, data analysis: More and more German states are upgrading with AI surveillance. So far ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/widerstand-gegen-ueberwachung-man-kann-kameras-auch-kaputtmachen/
“People have very good reasons to use cash”: Digital payments are also a social issue. Sociologist Barbara Brandl has investigated how digital payments ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/digitales-bezahlen-die-leute-haben-sehr-gute-gruende-bargeld-zu-nutzen/
The week of reckoning after a year of the black-red coalition: The 19th calendar week is coming to an end. We have published 19 new articles with a total of 147 ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/kw-19-die-woche-der-bilanz-nach-einem-jahr-schwarz-rot/
Signal wants to warn more strongly about phishing in the future: Signal is responding to the extensive phishing campaign with changes to the app. Meanwhile ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/attacke-auf-messenger-signal-will-in-zukunft-staerker-vor-phishing-warnen/
From the lobby summit in the Alps to the bookstore prize: The first year of the black-red coalition is marked by scandalous lack of transparency and a tough ... Show more
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Europol allegedly operates illegal data analysis platforms: The European police agency Europol has apparently been operating a shadow IT system for years ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/correctiv-recherche-europol-betreibt-mutmasslich-illegale-datenanalyseplattformen/
Data protection officers criticize chat monitoring: The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection continues to warn against chat monitoring ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/anlasslose-massenueberwachung-datenschutzbeauftragte-kritisieren-chatkontrolle/
"Like something out of a dystopian science fiction film": Today, members of the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament discussed an amendment to the police law for ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/polizeigesetz-schleswig-holstein-wie-aus-einem-dystopischen-science-fiction-film/
"New low point" in transparency: From the lobby summit in the Alps to the bookstore prize: The first year of the black-red coalition is marked by scandalous lack ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/ein-jahr-schwarz-rot-neuer-tiefpunkt-in-sachen-transparenz/
Award for our stalkerware investigation: An investigation by Chris Köver and Martin Schwarzbeck was awarded a special prize at the Data Protection Media Prize ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/datenschutz-medienpreis-auszeichnung-fuer-unsere-stalkerware-recherche/
netzpolitik.org May 05
„Eine reale Gefahr“: Gerade gibt es bundesweit Bestrebungen, Überwachungskameras mit Systemen zu koppeln, die vollautomatisiert erkennen ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/verhaltensscanner-eine-reale-gefahr/
EU Commission wants to allow US authorities to inquire about political views and "origin"
netzpolitik.org/2026/erzwungene-grenzpartnerschaft-eu-kommission-will-us-behoerden-erlauben-politische-ansichten-und-herkunft-abzufragen/
Under the Spell of the Banal: On social media, content creators are presenting old Nazi architecture. The popular videos serve more as propaganda than as ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/trugbild-im-bann-des-banalen/
The week in which almost no one talked about the surveillance package: The 18th calendar week is coming to an end. We have published 15 new articles with a total ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/kw-18-die-woche-in-der-fast-niemand-vom-ueberwachungspaket-sprach/
Many people use apps to plan their outdoor adventures or to connect with other outdoor enthusiasts about places. Many providers lure users with premium ... Show more
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Decline of press freedom continues dramatically: Journalism is increasingly being criminalized worldwide. Even in democratic countries. For the first time ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/reporter-ohne-grenzen-niedergang-der-pressefreiheit-setzt-sich-dramatisch-fort/
EU wants to deport more and faster using digital means: The EU is working intensively on the deportation regulation. ICE-like raids on private homes and ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/abschiebeverordnung-eu-will-mit-digitalen-mitteln-mehr-und-schneller-abschieben/
Facebook and Instagram should take tougher action against children's accounts
netzpolitik.org/2026/eu-vs-meta-facebook-und-instagram-sollen-haerter-gegen-kinder-accounts-vorgehen/
Key FactsEU Targets Meta Over Child Safety on Social Networks
Apr 29, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stern.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: stern.de
- The EU Commission found that Meta does not adequately block children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram.
- Meta failed to promptly remove underage accounts and overlooked scientific evidence about younger users' vulnerability.
- An EU-developed age verification app aims to enhance protection, but some member states, including Germany, hesitate to adopt it.
- If unresolved, Meta could incur fines up to six percent of annual revenue or daily penalties to enforce compliance.
These are the contentious issues surrounding the Digital Euro: The European Parliament is seeking a common position on the Digital Euro. One particularly ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/eu-ringt-um-einigung-das-sind-die-strittigen-fragen-beim-digitalen-euro/
EU Digital Law is not a sure thing: For the first time, the EU Commission has reviewed how the Digital Markets Act has fared in practice. In a report ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/bilanz-zum-digital-markets-act-eu-digitalgesetz-ist-kein-selbstlaeufer/
Hiking is possible even with data protection.: Dear readers, anyone who wants to get lost in nature will still be tracked. Numerous navigation and hiking apps ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/auf-den-punkt-wandern-geht-auch-mit-datenschutz/
Trilogue negotiations on relaxed AI rules fail: The EU wants to weaken its rules on artificial intelligence under intense time pressure. Now ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/ai-act-trilog-verhandlungen-ueber-gelockerte-ki-regeln-gescheitert/
“Any form of dependency is bad”: While there is much talk in Brussels about digital sovereignty, the financing of the projects that are supposed to realize it ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/europaeische-digitale-souveraenitaet-jede-form-von-abhaengigkeit-ist-schlecht/
Ignorance everywhere: The greater the scale of the phishing attack, the more nonsense enters the debate. Yet the most important questions are: How could the ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/phishing-signal-unkenntnis-allerorten/
“The police are becoming data providers”: In Hamburg, an AI is analyzing what people are doing in two central squares. Scientists monitored the surveillance ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/verhaltensscanner-in-hamburg-die-polizei-wird-zum-datenlieferant/
Phishing is technology-neutral.: Dear readers, the Vice President of the Bundestag, Andrea Lindholz (CSU), wants members of parliament to stop using the Signal ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/auf-den-punkt-phishing-ist-technologieneutral/
OpinionThe internet is dying: We want to use social media to stay in touch with our friends. But now AI-generated content is also making the internet increasingly ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/breakpoint-das-internet-stirbt/
Attack on politics and journalism: Signal phishing against Julia Klöckner successful
netzpolitik.org/2026/attacke-auf-politik-und-journalismus-signal-phishing-gegen-julia-kloeckner-erfolgreich/
Thuringia wants to relieve itself of transparency requirements: In a
netzpolitik.org/2026/informationsfreiheit-thueringen-will-sich-von-transparenz-entlasten/
Family Ministry: Experts ignore the dangers of age verification: The Family Minister wants a social media ban for minors. The experts she appointed are less ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/familienministerium-fachleute-blenden-gefahren-von-alterskontrollen-aus/
Many users followed the promise of the payment service provider wero to be a European and data protection-compliant alternative to many other providers ... Show more
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Experts demand: Federal government must put AI on a climate course: The AI boom is increasingly becoming a problem for the environment and climate ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/fachleute-fordern-bundesregierung-muss-ki-auf-klima-kurs-bringen/
Unfulfilled promise of digital sovereignty: European payment service Wero uses Amazon servers
netzpolitik.org/2026/uneingeloestes-versprechen-auf-digitale-souveraenitaet-europaeischer-bezahldienst-wero-nutzt-amazon-server/
Weizenbaum Report 2026: Democracy Requires Defiance: The population increasingly perceives violence against politicians as a threat to democracy ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/weizenbaum-report-2026-demokratie-erfordert-trotz/
Germany Stack and Civil Society: Digital Ministry Sends Contradictory Signals: The Digital Ministry had called on civil society to contribute to the Germany ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/deutschland-stack-und-zivilgesellschaft-digitalministerium-sendet-widerspruechliche-signale/
Transparency Report Q1 2026: Our Income and Expenditures - | and many small campfires
netzpolitik.org/2026/transparenzbericht-1-quartal-2026-unsere-einnahmen-und-ausgaben-und-viele-kleine-lagerfeuer/
The Minister of Justice has presented the long-awaited law to protect against digital violence. Victims should be able to more easily sue alleged perpetrators ... Show more
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OpinionConference against Big Tech: Out of the powerlessness: To the
netzpolitik.org/2026/konferenz-gegen-big-tech-raus-aus-der-ohnmacht/
OpinionWeek 16: The week we were stunned by cell phone searches: The 16th calendar week is coming to an end. We have published 13 new articles with a total of 130 ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/kw-16-die-woche-in-der-wir-fassungslos-ueber-handydurchsuchungen-waren/
With Merz and von der Leyen: Macron wants to push through age verification for everyone
netzpolitik.org/2026/mit-merz-und-von-der-leyen-macron-will-alterskontrollen-fuer-alle-durchboxen/
Idris has lived in Germany for over 40 years and is facing deportation to Eritrea. This is considered practically impossible. Nevertheless ... Show more
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Facial scan and mandatory mobile phone: Von der Leyen declares age verification app "ready"
netzpolitik.org/2026/gesichtsscan-und-handy-zwang-von-der-leyen-erklaert-alterskontroll-app-fuer-fertig/
Deportation policy: The cell phone of a man who has nowhere to go: Idris has lived in Germany for more than 40 years and is to be deported to Eritrea ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/abschiebepolitik-das-handy-eines-mannes-der-nirgendwo-hin-kann/
ECJ clarifies: Sampling is fine: The legendary copyright case
netzpolitik.org/2026/eugh-praezisiert-sampling-geht-klar/
Contrary to European law | and unconstitutional: Black-Red coalition should withdraw plans for biometric internet searches
netzpolitik.org/2026/europarechts-und-verfassungswidrig-schwarz-rot-soll-plaene-fuer-biometrische-internetfahndung-zurueckziehen/
OpinionWeek 15: The week in which there must finally be consequences for the data industry
netzpolitik.org/2026/kw-15-die-woche-in-der-es-endlich-konsequenzen-fuer-die-datenindustrie-geben-muss/
OpinionStudy by media authorities: Online debate culture is eroding.: The willingness to participate in debates on social media and in online comment sections is ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/studie-der-medienanstalten-debattenkultur-im-netz-erodiert/
Resistance against Big Tech: “We don’t want AI in our liberated world”: AI is susceptible to fascist ideologies and goes hand in hand with authoritarian power ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/widerstand-gegen-big-tech-ki-wollen-wir-in-unserer-befreiten-welt-nicht-haben/
OpinionFundamental Rights: Two Insiders Report from the European Data Protection Supervisor
netzpolitik.org/2026/grundrechte-zwei-insider-berichten-vom-europaeischen-datenschutzbeauftragten/
Due to mobile phone location data: Wetter Online faces a fine: Precise location data of weather app users - | sold by data brokers. More than a year after the ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/wegen-handy-standortdaten-wetter-online-droht-bussgeld/
Voluntary chat monitoring: Big Tech wants to continue scanning without a legal basis
netzpolitik.org/2026/freiwillige-chatkontrolle-big-tech-will-ohne-rechtsgrundlage-weiterscannen/
Age verification: Social media ban leaves the German government clueless: The German government does not know whether a social media ban for minors would be ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/alterskontrollen-social-media-verbot-laesst-bundesregierung-ahnungslos-zurueck/
Right to broadband: Just isolated cases: Before the right to a modern internet connection takes effect, the satellite provider Starlink is increasingly stepping ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/recht-auf-breitband-lauter-einzelfaelle/
Major ARD documentary: Attention, data trading! Danger to life!: Collected for advertising purposes, squandered on the internet: Location data from the ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/grosse-ard-doku-achtung-datenhandel-lebensgefahr/
Kafka and Artificial Intelligence: The Yearning for Total Sovereignty: With the help of AI agents, individuals are expected to soon build companies valued in the ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/kafka-und-kuenstliche-intelligenz-die-sehnsucht-nach-totaler-souveraenitaet/
New mental health law in North Rhine-Westphalia: "Harmful to dangerous": North Rhine-Westphalia is working on a new law that will also regulate the exchange of ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/neues-psychisch-kranken-gesetz-in-nrw-schaedlich-bis-gefaehrlich/
#306 Off The Record: What’s going wrong in the debate on digital violence: Germany is finally discussing digital violence! But in the debate over what to do ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/306-off-the-record-was-in-der-debatte-um-digitale-gewalt-schieflaeuft/
OpinionWeek 14: The week we thought about fixing things: The 14th calendar week is coming to an end. We have published 13 new articles with a total of 110 ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/kw-14-die-woche-als-wir-uebers-reparieren-nachgedacht-haben/
“No constitutionally compliant design possible”: Civil society warns against plans for AI-powered manhunts
netzpolitik.org/2026/keine-verfassungskonforme-ausgestaltung-moeglich-zivilgesellschaft-warnt-vor-plaenen-fuer-ki-fahndung/
OpinionNew committee planned: EU wants to accommodate Trump on digital laws: Donald Trump rails against the EU and its digital regulations at every opportunity ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/neues-gremium-geplant-eu-will-trump-bei-digitalgesetzen-entgegenkommen/
Reports about Collien Fernandes' experiences have sparked a nationwide debate. What needs to happen to protect victims of digital violence? Here we ... Show more
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INPOL file: Police authorities are increasingly using facial recognition: Criminal investigation offices have used a facial recognition system from the Federal ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/inpol-datei-polizeibehoerden-nutzen-immer-oefter-gesichtserkennung/
netzpolitik.org Apr 01
Banken und Vermögensverwalter: Milliardeninvestitionen aus Europa fließen in Palantir
netzpolitik.org/2026/banken-und-vermoegensverwalter-milliardeninvestitionen-aus-europa-fliessen-in-palantir/
Less waste, more repair: To finally make the big idea of a circular economy a reality, Germany will soon introduce a new law ... Show more
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EU law takes precedence: No room for a German social media ban: The German Bundestag's Research Services have investigated for a second time whether Germany ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/eu-recht-geht-vor-kein-spielraum-fuer-deutsches-social-media-verbot/
KeepItOn report: More and more internet blocks due to conflicts: Last year, internet blocks reached a new record high, according to the latest report from the ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/keepiton-bericht-immer-mehr-netzsperren-wegen-konflikten/
Right to Repair: The Long Road to a Sustainable Consumer Culture: Throwing Less Away, Repairing More: To finally make the grand idea of the circular economy a ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/recht-auf-reparatur-der-lange-weg-zu-einer-nachhaltigen-konsumkultur/
Hearing in Saxony: Many issues still arise with the police law amendment: At a hearing in the Saxon State Parliament, experts warn: Parts of the new police law ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/anhoerung-in-sachsen-noch-viele-baustellen-bei-polizeirechtsnovelle/
OpinionBreakpoint: Social media needs to become more boring: Large tech companies are investing billions to keep us on their platforms as long as possible ...
netzpolitik.org/2026/breakpoint-soziale-medien-muessen-langweiliger-werden/
The case of Collien Fernandes has shocked many. However, the reactions are also alarming: people are now defending their supposed right to create sexualized ... Show more
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