Germany Prepares for Social Media Election Interference with Stress Test
Germany's Federal Network Agency conducts a stress test with major social media platforms to ensure readiness for potential election interference ahead of the Feb. 23 parliamentary vote.
Germany's Federal Network Agency has confirmed that it is 'well prepared' to handle potential online interference in the upcoming February 23 parliamentary election.
Klaus Müller, the agency's president, made the statement after a stress test conducted on Friday with social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta, X, Google, and Microsoft.
The test, which simulated possible electoral infringements, aimed to assess the platforms' reporting mechanisms and response protocols.
It marked the first national election stress test under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA requires platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU to mitigate risks to electoral processes, including disinformation.
The exercise also involved representatives from civil society and national authorities.
Concerns about foreign interference have been rising in Germany, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party currently polling second.
Evidence of foreign influence, particularly from Russia, has already been seen in other European elections, such as in Romania, where the presidential election was canceled in December due to disinformation campaigns.
The test comes amid heightened scrutiny of online platforms, following incidents such as Elon Musk’s public endorsement of the AfD, which has sparked investigations into possible illegal donations.
The European Commission had previously hosted a similar exercise ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Klaus Müller, the agency's president, made the statement after a stress test conducted on Friday with social media platforms, including TikTok, Meta, X, Google, and Microsoft.
The test, which simulated possible electoral infringements, aimed to assess the platforms' reporting mechanisms and response protocols.
It marked the first national election stress test under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA requires platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU to mitigate risks to electoral processes, including disinformation.
The exercise also involved representatives from civil society and national authorities.
Concerns about foreign interference have been rising in Germany, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party currently polling second.
Evidence of foreign influence, particularly from Russia, has already been seen in other European elections, such as in Romania, where the presidential election was canceled in December due to disinformation campaigns.
The test comes amid heightened scrutiny of online platforms, following incidents such as Elon Musk’s public endorsement of the AfD, which has sparked investigations into possible illegal donations.
The European Commission had previously hosted a similar exercise ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
