FE ATUR E A RT ICLE S
Tackling disinformation online Disinformation and fake news pose a threat to democracies. According to Dr. Markus Kerber, State Secretary at G ermany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior and national coordinator against hybrid threats, media, fact-checkers, political parties and citizens themselves all play a crucial role in promoting d igital and media literacy. Interview conducted by Ingo Mannteufel, head of DW’s IT and Cybersecurity
©©Bundesinnenministerum
Disinformation, i. e. the targeted dissemination of deliberate misinformation to achieve a political goal, is a very old phenomenon. In your view, what is new about its current threat to democracy? What is new about this phenomenon is that false and misleading information can now be disseminated over the Internet with much greater reach and at relatively low cost. This makes it possible, for example, for the creators of disinformation to simultaneously test different content in order to increase their reach. The personalization of content in social networks also makes it possible to target disinformation at specif-
24 Weltzeit 2 | 2020
ic groups of people, for example through paid advertisements. In addition, the initial sources are often not recognizable at all because they conceal or even falsify their identity. As a result, the problem of disinformation is much greater today than it was in the past, for example during the Cold War. Research shows that subsequent corrections in social networks are much less widespread than disinformation. In part, there is still insufficient knowledge about the effect of disinformation on different social groups. The Federal Ministry of the Interior monitors politically motivated and very targeted disinformation, which can have a negative
influence on the free formation of opinion and the political decision-making process, for example by undermining trust in government agencies, the independence of the media or democratic processes. We live in a world in which one has the impression that there is no more truth or that one can choose “one’s version of the truth.” What role do you see for authorities and for the media in combating dis information? The doubting of generally valid facts is not a new phenomenon, because the idea of objective truths has been scientifically questioned before. On the other hand, there is a broad consensus on many issues, e. g. the extensive findings on climate change. Therefore, it makes a difference whether things are simply claimed or whether they are well-founded and verifiable. Above all, it makes a difference whether false and misleading claims are disseminated deliberately in order to deceive the public. It is not the task of the state to actively distinguish between truth and falsehood in the public debate. This is largely the task of the media, fact-checkers, political parties and citizens themselves. Online platforms must also take stronger action against the spread of disinformation and are doing so to varying degrees. However, the state can, within the scope of its possibilities, work towards making the public even more aware of targeted disinformation, for example through civic education. As part of its prevention efforts, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution also raises awareness of disinformation and influence emanating from foreign government agencies and media close to the state. A vigilant
Dr. Markus Kerber has been State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community since 2018. From 2009 to 2011, he was Director General for Economic and Fiscal Policy Strategy at the Federal Ministry of Finance. Prior to that, he was Director General for Basic Policy Issues and International Analyses at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
