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🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

Berlin election chief warns disinformation has reached a “new dimension”

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Berlin state election commissioner Stephan Bröchler warned that disinformation, particularly on social media, poses a growing threat to the legitimacy of elections.
  • Bröchler said he is coordinating with social media platforms to respond quickly to possible campaigns before or shortly after Berlin’s Sept. 20 state election.
  • He described the trend as a “new dimension” compared with previous years.

Berlin’s state election commissioner says election disinformation has entered a “new dimension,” raising concerns about the legitimacy of voting in Germany.

Stephan Bröchler told the Rheinische Post that false information, especially on social media, has grown markedly compared with previous years. The political scientist said the development worried him ahead of Berlin’s state election on Sept. 20.

We must recognize that disinformation, particularly on social media, has reached a new dimension compared with previous years.

· Stephan BröchlerBerlin’s state election commissioner described the scale of election-related false information ahead of the vote.

Bröchler said he remains in contact with representatives of social media platforms. If disinformation campaigns emerge before the election or shortly afterward, he said, the authorities will be able to respond quickly in consultation with the platforms.

If there are disinformation campaigns in the run-up to the elections or shortly afterward, we will be able to respond quickly in consultation with the platform operators.

· Stephan BröchlerBröchler explained how election authorities plan to coordinate with social media companies.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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