AfD on digital affairs

The AfD wants the constitutional ban on censorship applied across the board, explicitly including the internet. It sees growing interference with statements critical of the government online and considers a free internet necessary to protect democracy.

The AfD wants a free internet. No one should suppress opinions there. The German constitution bans censorship. This should apply online too. Children and teenagers should still be protected online.

The platform complains that the range of acceptable opinion has narrowed in traditional media, and especially in public broadcasting. It says statements that do not follow the government line are also being obstructed online. The AfD therefore demands that the constitutional ban on censorship be applied everywhere. Youth protection should continue to apply on the internet; the party sees no contradiction in that.

The AfD rejects not only direct state censorship but also what it calls indirect censorship, which it sees mainly on social media as a result of the Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (Network Enforcement Act). It wants stronger user rights and protection against arbitrary bans from platforms.

The AfD wants more free speech on the internet. It is against the Network Enforcement Act. This law makes platforms delete certain posts. The AfD calls this censorship. Platforms should not be allowed to ban users for no good reason.

According to the platform, the Network Enforcement Act forces private companies such as Meta or Google to censor content. The AfD therefore calls for stronger user rights and protection against arbitrary exclusion. Legal violations and crimes online, especially regarding youth protection, should still be pursued, but only by state authorities. The party also supports a diverse media landscape and factual, balanced journalism.

The AfD rejects the EU-imposed obligation to install upload filters, arguing that it restricts smaller providers and weakens free internet culture. It also opposes the EU Commission's plans to scan online chats outside of criminal prosecution.

The AfD is against upload filters. These are programs that check content automatically when it is uploaded. The AfD says this hurts small internet providers. It is also against scanning private chats. Both are EU rules or plans.

According to the platform, upload filters only claim to protect copyright. In practice, it says, they mainly limit the freedom of small internet providers. The party rejects the EU Commission's planned scanning of chats unless it serves criminal prosecution.

The AfD wants to support the use of artificial intelligence in Thuringia's economy and warns against too much regulation. Mid-sized companies should be able to use AI, and universities should receive support for research and development.

The AfD wants to promote artificial intelligence in Thuringia. Artificial intelligence is called AI for short. These are computer programs that learn on their own. Politicians should not regulate AI too strictly. Companies and universities should get support.

The platform assumes that AI will take hold in many areas of life and business. In the AfD's view, overly strict regulation would hold back competition and innovation. Youth protection and data protection law should still apply to AI. Mid-sized companies in particular should be able to tap the technology's potential, and AI research at Thuringian universities should be funded.

The AfD wants to invest heavily so that fast internet is available everywhere in Thuringia without gaps. It sees this as a condition for economic development and jobs outside urban centers.

The AfD wants fast internet in all of Thuringia. It wants to spend a lot of money on this. Villages should be well connected too. This should make jobs in rural areas possible.

In the AfD's view, the rollout of high-capacity networks has been too slow so far, especially in rural areas. The platform treats broadband access as a key requirement for future-proof jobs in the regions. It adds that modern farming also depends on stable, powerful connections. For that reason, substantial investment funds are to be made available.

The AfD calls for abolishing the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, in German DSGVO). Among its reasons are bureaucratic duties that volunteer-run clubs can hardly meet.

The GDPR is an EU law that protects personal data. The AfD wants to get rid of this law. It says clubs have too much paperwork because of it. Volunteers often cannot manage that.

According to the program, numerous legal requirements burden club life, including the duties under the GDPR. Volunteers often cannot handle them with the means a club has. The party accuses Germany of not having used the leeway the regulation offers for softer rules. More generally, it wants to counter bureaucratic burdens on clubs.

The AfD wants uniform statewide standards for digital administration so that procedures become simpler and cheaper in the long run. At the same time, government offices should remain reachable in person and without digital tools.

The AfD wants government offices to be reachable online. People should be able to file applications on the internet. All of Thuringia should have the same rules for this. People who do not want to go online should still be able to visit the office.

Uniform standards across Thuringia are meant to simplify administrative procedures, make them more citizen-friendly, and save costs over time. Residents should be able to reach agencies digitally wherever possible and submit applications online. The platform also assumes a “right to an analog life.” For the AfD, this means agencies must in principle remain accessible on site and by traditional means in the future.