Interior Minister Behrens: Increase in fake news in local elections

According to Interior Minister Daniela Behrens, disinformation campaigns and fake news on social media, for example, have also increased in the local election campaign in Lower Saxony. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been monitoring such disinformation campaigns for years, ever since Russia attacked Ukraine, the SPD politician told the radio station NDR Info.

“And now with the local elections here in Lower Saxony we certainly have a new dimension, because at the local level people are now basically targeting people who are vilifying, telling the most terrible lies, doing it in a highly professional manner,” said Behrens. The campaigns are difficult to recognize. She thinks this is “really worrying”.

How do you react to fake news?

The Interior Minister further told NDR that it was “very, very clear” that Russia was essentially behind such disinformation campaigns. The goal is to weaken support for Ukraine. “People are trying to destabilize democratic institutions. “They are trying to undermine citizens’ trust in their own state and also create social division,” said the minister.

Behrens said she sees two levels of responding to disinformation. “One thing is, of course, the platforms are responsible for monitoring what happens on their platforms.” However, the European Union has not yet been good at holding platform operators responsible.

On the other hand, every individual needs to become more suspicious of social media, Behrens told NDR Info. “So especially with videos and photos where there are really bad stories that are intended to trigger strong outrage, you always have to look, is that really true?” Citizens should obtain broad information - including with the help of public broadcasting and large media companies.