"Digital firewall": CCC makes twelve demands of the future German government
The abolition of mass surveillance, the right to encryption and the fight against abusive tech bros are some of the demands of the two dozen organizations.
The appeal by the CCC and other organizations is also directed against mass surveillance of public spaces.
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Together with over twenty other civil society organizations, the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is appealing to the future German government for a digital firewall against fascism. The net activists cite developments in the USA as an example of how data collection and analysis endanger democracy and state structures. The hackers are therefore making twelve demands in three areas to the future government.
A clear commitment against surveillance is at the top of the list of demands. In particular, biometric mass surveillance and data retention are a thorn in the side of network politicians and civil rights activists, who have always warned of the negative impact on civil rights.
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The demands in the section “Protection and security for all” are also already known, but the problems have not been solved. CCC spokesperson Elina Eickstädt emphasizes this: “Democracy needs a secure and confidential IT infrastructure for everyone.” A right to end-to-end encryption and the abolition of the hacker paragraph are therefore on the to-do list of the possible black-red federal government. However, effective child and youth media protection without restricting fundamental rights are also on the agenda.
Abuse of power by tech companies denounced
Protecting the digital public space and wresting it away from big tech companies is the focus of the last block of demands. According to the CCC call, this includes robust supervisory structures – the very structures that “Big Tech” wants to fight through its powerful ally in the White House. The fight against digital violence, which is particularly directed against marginalized groups, should be improved through legal regulation, according to the signatories.
Digital education must be prioritized and be available to all people, according to the appeal. To this end, the government should strengthen digital volunteering and improve the rather meagre availability of free teaching and learning materials (open educational resources).
In addition to the CCC, the signatories include Amnesty International, Pro Asyl, the globalization-critical network Attac, the Humanist Union and the D64 — Center for Digital Progress.
(cku)
