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New federal government must elevate the status of digital transformation
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5 core requirements for future digital policy
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Bundling competencies for digital topics
At a party congress on Sunday, the SPD decided to enter into joint coalition negotiations with the CDU/CSU. For at least one reason, Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board at eco, questions whether a new GroKo coalition represents a win-win situation from the point of view of Internet policy:
“Without doubt, the digital agenda was an important step for strategic digital policy in Germany. Over the past three years, the grand coalition has laid down some central tracks for digital policy with this agenda. In too many areas, however, Germany is simply not yet where it should be. In the exploratory talks, the digital transformation was downgraded to a niche topic; this relegation must definitely not be maintained in the coalition negotiations that are now commencing.”
New federal government must elevate the status of digital transformation
According to eco, the acting federal government has constantly adopted a problem-oriented approach and has generally proven skeptical when it comes to digital technologies. The cumulative outcome has been an Internet policy weighted heavily on the side of regulation, containment, and control. The reintroduction of the controversial blanket data retention, the Network Enforcement Act (which has been criticized by a broad cross-sectoral alliance), the Lawful Interception at the Source (Quellen-TKÜ) with its State Trojans, the plans for platform regulation and algorithmic control presented towards the end of the legislative term: all of these exemplify the grand coalition’s defensive, retrograde Internet policy and do not necessarily offer the Internet Industry Association much room for hope from a further four years of the grand coalition.
“We expect the next federal government to treat Germany as a digital location in need of development; otherwise we will simply be overtaken by other countries. The federal government needs an overall visionary digital concept which places the promotion of innovation center stage and which contains ideas on how digital transformation in Germany can be structured for the greatest possible benefit of all,” says Süme.
eco has summarized the five most important core requirements for a digital program for the coalition partners:
1. Political Status of Digital Transformation:
Greater relevance for the future-oriented topic of Internet policy!
2. Digital Economy & Digital Education:
Rigorously promote the digital transformation of state and economy!
3. Law & Injustice / Right & Wrong on the Internet:
The state must not shirk its responsibility in prosecuting crimes on the Internet!
4. Digital Infrastructure & Networks:
Achieve a Gigabit Society by 2025!
5. Security & Trust on the Internet:
Regulate IT security and data protection at European level and do not counteract progress through state surveillance measures!
eco demands a bundling of competencies for digital topics in policy-making
Digital policy needs to be accorded the status that it is due. eco calls for the federal government to consolidate the existing competencies in the area of digital services and infrastructures in order to achieve an Internet policy which emanates from a single source, both at ministerial level, and in the Bundestag in the form of a leading steering committee. The committees already set up a week ago should therefore be thoroughly scrutinized after the government has been formed. Deliberating on Internet issues within at least four different committees would lead to friction losses that are utterly obstructive to an efficient and consistent digital policy.
