For the new legislative term, eco – Association of the Internet Industry sees digital policy priorities in the areas of digital infrastructure, digital education and administration, cybersecurity and consistent data protection on the Internet. The association has formulated core demands and recommendations for action in an Internet Policy Agenda.
These Internet policy priorities are also confirmed by a current representative population survey* conducted by the market and opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco.
Digital infrastructure is the key to sustainable digitalisation
In the representative survey conducted nationwide, more than half said that the next German federal government most urgently needs to strengthen the digital infrastructure (52.8 per cent). This is also a core concern of eco and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany founded under its umbrella. In its Internet Policy Agenda, the association demands that the new German federal government push digital sovereignty in the form of open technology access and digital infrastructures that are available nationwide.
Furthermore, more than 30 per cent of the respondents state that the new German federal government must urgently take countermeasures in the areas of digital administration (37.6 per cent), cybersecurity (34.5 per cent) and digital education (30.9 per cent). “The state and administration must actively contribute to a digital society – offices and authorities should take on a pioneering role in digitalisation,” says eco Chair of the Board, Oliver Süme. For modern e-government, new standards for secure digital identities must be developed, and open standards for administrative applications must be made available, Süme continued.
SĂĽme: Addressing top digital policy issues with a Ministry for Digitalisation
For the digital transformation of the education system, the eco Association considers the expansion of digital learning and teaching opportunities and the strengthening of teachers’ media skills to be essential. In addition, it is important to promote basic computer science and IT skills in all areas of school learning and with the help of individual further training.
SĂĽme believes that transparent, reliable rules and the use of encryption technologies are indispensable for the security and integrity of networks. A strong level of IT security and the consistent application of data protection law also require a joint dialogue between politicians, providers and users. This is also an important concern of citizens, as the current population survey shows: About a quarter of the respondents (25.5 per cent) state that the new German federal government urgently needs to strengthen data protection on the Internet.
“Whether digital infrastructures, cybersecurity or digital education – there are simply too many digital policy hotspots in Germany at the moment, and we urgently need a concrete, comprehensive solution strategy,” says Süme. In order to shape digital transformation quickly, the eco Chair of the Board considers a Ministry for Digitalisation indispensable. Furthermore, only a Ministry for Digitalisation can provide long-term approaches to the urgent challenges of our time, such as climate change, since digitalisation is part of the solution here.
*The market and opinion research institute Civey surveyed more than 5,000 people on behalf of the eco Association between 2 September and 21 September 2021. Multiple answers possible. The statistical error is 2.5 per cent.
Our digital policy demands and recommendations for action for the new legislative period: Internet Policy Agenda
