Berlin, 17 November 2023 – After around two years of the current German “traffic light” coalition, eco – Association of the Internet Industry provides a mixed assessment of the progress in digital policy. According to the Traffic Light Coalition Check, three of the twelve digital policy fields of action are seen as red by the association, i.e. there is no discernible positive development compared to the goals formulated in the coalition agreement. This applies to the areas of digital policy responsibilities, digital education and data retention. Amber lights are available in a further eight fields of action. There is only one field of action which eco sees as being in the green zone: that of data policy.

“The diffusion of responsibility and fragmentation of digital policy responsibilities within the German federal government is increasingly stalling digital transformation in Germany,” says eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme. “Instead of an ambitious digital policy, after two years of the current German coalition government, we are experiencing at best a stop-and-go.”

According to Süme, there is a lack of a central authority to take on the overall coordination of Germany’s digital project in order to systematically address existing Internet policy issues during this legislative term. “In companies and essentially in any organisation, it is customary for larger projects to be managed by a project leader. This person certainly does not carry out all of the tasks alone, but maintains an overall view and guides the involved players. It should be beyond dispute that digital transformation is a highly complex project. In this respect, I would recommend that someone in the German federal government finally takes the lead, sets goals, establishes priorities, and monitors the implementation of sub-projects. Otherwise, this project is likely to hit a wall sooner rather than later,” says Oliver Süme.

Amber light in eight of twelve Internet policy categories

The association recognises moderate progress in digital policy in eight of the twelve assessed areas, with eco accordingly rating these as amber. These include European and international Internet policy, the expansion of digital infrastructure, as well as measures in the areas of artificial intelligence, sustainable digitalisation, cybersecurity, digital administration and New Work. The association also only gives an amber light to the Digital Strategy launched by the German federal government in 2022. “The coalition government has already started the majority of the projects included in the Digital Strategy, which is indeed positive,” says Oliver Süme. “However, the traffic light coalition must now urgently accelerate initiatives in the areas of administrative digitalisation, the expansion of digital infrastructures and cybersecurity in particular.” In principle, the association welcomes the leverage projects formulated in the Digital Strategy, such as network expansion, the introduction of uniform technical norms and standards and the establishment of secure digital identities.