Grüne on digital affairs

The Greens want to broaden the state's existing open access strategy into an open science strategy and upgrade digital systems for research, teaching and university administration. Research findings are to be freely accessible, because in the platform's view lack of access and weak infrastructure slow science down.

The Greens want research results to be free for everyone to read. This is called open science. Universities should get better digital tools. University offices should also become more digital.

The plan includes shared statewide structures for managing research data. A publication and data infrastructure is to be paid for permanently with public money so that research stays freely available and usable over time. Digital systems for research and teaching are to be expanded and university administration modernized. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, climate-neutral energy systems and infection research are to receive targeted support, while respecting academic freedom and weighing the consequences.

The Greens want a binding statewide strategy for digitalizing public administration. The state and municipalities are to work closely together so that government services are available online everywhere. The platform sees unclear responsibilities and incompatible systems as the cause of slow, costly digitalization.

The Greens want a firm plan for digital government offices. The state and towns should work together. People should be able to do important tasks online. This should work equally well everywhere.

The strategy is to define goals, responsibilities and quality benchmarks while staying adaptable. The state-owned IT service provider is to be strengthened as the central partner, with clear tasks and enough resources. Smaller municipalities are to share the same modern infrastructure through cooperation. Stand-alone systems at individual agencies are to be replaced by compatible, secure, modular solutions with open interfaces. Projects with concrete benefits for residents, staff and businesses are to come first. Under the label "Einfach-Amt" (simple office), administration is to become easy to understand and close to citizens, online and in person.

The Greens want to move public administration to open-source software and open standards to reduce dependence on single vendors and big tech companies. The state's IT is to be better protected against cyberattacks. The state's data protection authority is to remain independent.

Government offices should use open software. Open software does not belong to one company. The state should depend less on big companies. Office computers should be safer from attacks. The state should keep its own data protection office.

The plan is a statewide open-source strategy with fixed steps and timelines, modeled on Schleswig-Holstein. An innovation fund is to support the development of free software for government use. The Greens oppose pooling data protection oversight at the federal level and want to keep a local point of contact. The Information Security Act is to be reviewed and backed with clear standards, staff and funding. The state CERT, the emergency response team for IT security, is to get considerably more staff. Regular emergency drills and training across the administration are also planned.

The Greens want sustainability criteria to apply from the start to every state digital project. The platform points to the high electricity use of servers and data centers. Paper use is to fall and devices are to be used longer.

Digital technology uses a lot of power. The Greens want every project to consider the environment. Offices should use less paper. Computers should be used for longer.

Sustainability is to be a binding part of planning, partly to avoid rebound effects, meaning extra consumption that cancels out savings. Artificial intelligence is to be used only where its benefit is proven and it runs resource-efficiently. Agencies are to need far less paper through digital workflows, legally valid electronic signatures and easy-to-use online services. IT hardware is to stay in service longer, and repair cafés are to get more funding.

The Greens want digital government services to be accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, age or language skills. Accessibility is to become standard in development and procurement. The platform argues that digitalization misses its purpose if it shuts people out.

Everyone should be able to use online government services. This includes people with disabilities and older people. Forms should come in easy-to-read language. They should also come in other languages. Helpers should support people with digital questions.

From 2028, the state would only allow new or updated software that is fully accessible. Applications are to meet fixed standards and be developed and tested with different user groups. Progress is to be reviewed regularly and made public. Information, applications and forms are to be offered in Leichte Sprache (easy-to-read German) and in the foreign languages most widely spoken in the state. Media helpers are to offer support as volunteers, in schools or as paid staff at libraries.

The Greens want a human to always make the final call in sensitive areas such as welfare and criminal prosecution. A law would tie the use of algorithms in public administration to transparency and clear accountability. Predictive policing would be banned.

Computers should not decide about people on their own. This applies to welfare and to prosecuting crimes, for example. A human should always make the final decision. Police should not use software that tries to predict crimes.

The platform demands that sensitive decisions not be made by machines alone. An algorithm transparency law would apply to public administration. Such systems could only be used if they are traceable, do not discriminate, and a human bears responsibility. For security agencies, the Greens call for a ban on predictive policing, meaning software meant to forecast crimes, and on other AI applications deemed discriminatory.

The Greens want to give people more control over their data. They plan free courses on protecting yourself online, and the state would rely on independent, data-minimizing IT with priority for open source.

The Greens want better protection for personal data. There would be free courses. People learn there how to stay safe online. The state should use software that collects little data. Open source should come first. That is software whose code anyone can inspect.

Under the label "digital self-defense," the platform plans free workshops in adult education centers and libraries on protecting against data theft. IT infrastructure would become independent and data-minimizing, using public or European cloud services without tracking. Open-source software would get clear priority. Training for the public and for public-sector employees would be developed further to encourage use of these alternatives.