Digital Day 2025: resilient, democratic, participation-oriented
Digital Day promotes a digitally savvy and resilient society. The destructive aspects of the internet should be combated and the good ones promoted.
(Image: Digitaltag)
On the occasion of Digital Day 2025, online and offline campaigns will take place nationwide on June 27. This year's motto is: “Digital democracy: Have your say. Help shape it. Participate”. It's about digital participation, accessibility and a resilient society in a resilient democracy.
Opportunity or danger?
According to the event description, recent years have shown that fake news, disinformation, deepfakes, echo chambers, radicalization, and hate speech are booming online – especially during election campaigns. This increasingly raises the question of “whether the internet and other digital technologies are more of an opportunity or a threat to our democracy.”
Digital Day is therefore committed to a strong society that is also enlightened and resilient in the digital world. Digital spaces in particular also offer currently disadvantaged population groups the opportunity to participate, both socially and politically. Underrepresented topics can be made visible, grievances can be highlighted and solidarity can be expressed across local borders.
Barrier-free, otherwise a fine
However, there are also obstacles in the digital world because providers do not make their services accessible or people want or need to be offline for various reasons. But beware: the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) comes into force on June 28. This means that accessibility is now mandatory! If digital services are not made accessible and operable accordingly, severe fines may be imposed. In addition, the new federal government has set the goal of “digital only” in its coalition agreement. If this is implemented, offline channels will be deliberately not served. For convinced offline users, this is a declaration of war.
Videos by heise
Further articles from heise online, c't, ix and developer explain what needs to be considered for the BFSG and what is still lacking in Germany when it comes to participation, accessibility, and the protection of democracy online:
- Digital accessibility becomes mandatory: What companies need to implement (+)
- Barrier-free digital space by law: The BFSG is coming (+)
- Online compulsion? “Digital Only” despite digitally excluded population groups
- More than 3 million Germans are still offline
- Digital Index: huge gap between AI users and abstainers in Germany
- Digital Day study: Many feel left behind when it comes to digitalization
- Digital compulsion: Federal states also in favor of “digital only” - only Rhineland-Palatinate warns
- Data Protection Day: Massive concerns about “digital only” and forced digitalization
- Statutory health insurance physicians call for a reduction in bureaucracy and an end to forced digitalization
- Forced digitalization debate: Initiative D21 wants “digital only” with help for offline users
- Digital divide in the use of payment services - cash compulsion annoys many
- Criticism of digital Bahncard: “People excluded from participation”
- Missing link: Fear of the big influence
- Marina Weisband: Who owns the platforms on which we collect knowledge?
- National Cybersecurity Conference: BND warns against using doubt as a weapon
- Consumer ministers mobilize against dark patterns and targeted advertising
- E-patient file not barrier-free: social association sees acceptance at risk
- Accessibility: How an app guides people with visual impairments through the city (+)
- Web development without limits part 1: The practical guide for accessible design
- AI ring translates sign language in real time
(kbe)
