In the Bundestag is a growing concern that political debates will always be manipulated more via social networks. Most recently members have experienced this in the heated debate over the UN-migration Pact. “Especially in the web and in social media, a wave of falsehoods, and defamation, was thrown,” said the Chairman of the Union faction in the Bundestag, Ralph Brinkhaus of the CDU, of this newspaper. “This whole development makes me great concern,” says Brinkhaus, because they attack the core of the democracy, to the free formation of opinion. “It is high time to Wake up. 2019, a super election year in Germany,“ said Brinkhaus.

Thomas Gutschker

editor in the Department of politics in the Frankfurt General Sunday newspaper.

F. A. Z.

the Chairman of The group, followed in September to Volker Kauder, presented the legal regulations in view. He referred, in particular, to so-called “Social Bots” – Bots is short for robots. Such Bots are computer controlled, Accounts that spend in social networks partially as a real user.

Those Bots spread in high frequency programmed messages, and can quickly acquire the topics – or even Opinion. “It is conceivable to require the platform operator to make the volume of messages in a transparent, derived from Social Bots. Possible mandatory labelling would also be individual messages that originate from Social Bots,“ said Brinkhaus. He suggested a rapid discussion among the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag.

a broad majority in the Bundestag

The SPD is shown for open-minded. Your network policy spokesman, Jens Zimmermann, said: “anyone Who uses Bots, should by law be obliged to draw also, so that the users of social networks know who you have to do it. This is also true for companies that respond to customers ‘ questions automatically.“ He also argues for the “means of sanction”, for example, for a fine, if the marking duty will offend. In the case of the networks, he put once to the fact that they were able, by itself, of transparency. “In the case of Google and Facebook we see that they have recruited numerous employees in favour of Twitter, however, afterwards.”

the Greens are in favour of a fine, mandatory labelling clause: “Everyone has the right to know whether he communicates with another person or a machine,” says network spokeswoman Tabea Rössner. In addition, networks need to Bot Accounts block, if the are not marked. Rössner points out that the Bundestag employed already for 2015 with these questions: “The Federal government must finally assume their responsibilities.” At the end of November, it also gave the Federal Council “urgently necessary”, a labelling requirement for Social Bots to enshrine it in law. A country working group had recommended. The possible Changes relate to the broadcasting state Treaty between the countries, the tele-media law, and European law.