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Alexander Hohlfeld

@alhohlfeld.bsky.social
826 followers 745 following 229 posts

Digitalisation & Society | Digital Policy | Recommender Systems | Freedom of Speech | 🗣️: 🇬🇧 / 🇩🇪 | linktr.ee/al.hohlfeld

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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Daphne Keller @daphnek.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Your periodic reminder that "the company ignored employees' warnings" very often just means "people discussed what to do and not everyone agreed." Having these conversations is good. Fearing that open discussion will lead to gotcha headlines is bad.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Jeff Kosseff @jkosseff.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
For Lawfare, I wrote about the First Amendment problems with Meta’s settlement. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
lawfaremedia.org
The First Amendment Problems With Meta’s $17 Billion Deal
Meta's settlement includes some social media speech restrictions that states can't directly impose.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
A welcome piece of good news: The French Constitutional Council has struck down a bill that would have locked minors out of social media and required every adult to verify their age www.politico.eu/article/fren...
politico.eu
French court blocks social media ban for under 15s
Ruling could have far-reaching implications about kids’ rights to access the internet.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🚨New Science Advances🚨 Untrustworthy sources on Facebook and Instagram in 2020: Concentrated exposure but no attitudinal effects www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... -Exposure very low but highly concentrated -Reducing exposure by ~70% for months had no measurable effects *even among frequent consumers*
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
christoph schmon @tylium.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
EU Commission plans for social media restrictions: -Phased access to social media+ paired w/ age verification -Safety by design -Parental controls & digital literacy -States may add restrictions for 13+ The report barely discusses the impact on fundamental rights. FoE is not mentioned once.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Wiebke Hollersen @wiebkehollersen.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Alle Angriffe auf Journalisten sind Angriffe auf die Pressefreiheit. (Dass man das überhaupt noch schreiben muss.)
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Stefan Niggemeier @niggi.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Auch ein Angriff auf rechte Berichterstatter ist ein Angriff auf die Pressefreiheit. Es ist schwer erträglich, darauf hinweisen zu müssen, aber anscheinend ist es leider keine Selbstverständlichkeit. Mein Text zu Erfurt, „Apollo News“, „Widersetzen“ etc: www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/erfur... (€)
sueddeutsche.de
Angriff auf Journalisten von „Apollo News“ in Erfurt: Auf die Fresse
Journalisten des rechten Online-Mediums werden bei Anti-AfD-Demonstrationen attackiert. Die Aufregung darüber hält sich auffällig in Grenzen.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Global Network Initiative @thegni.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Age assurance mandates to limit children's social media access are a sea change in Internet policy, with profound implications for rights online. New from GNI: key learnings from our May learning discussion. 🔗 globalnetworkinitiative.org/examining-th...
globalnetworkinitiative.org
Examining the rights implications of age assurance requirements - Global Network Initiative
More than 40 countries are moving to restrict children's access to social media - a sea change in Internet policy with profound implications for privacy and expression. GNI convened experts to unpack ...
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Deniz Yücel @besserdeniz.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Satz ohne „Zwar“, „Auch wenn” und „Unabhängig davon“: Die gewalttätigen Angriffe auf Reporter von Apollo News und der Jungen Freiheit am Rande des AfD-Parteitags in Erfurt sind unerträglich, inakzeptabel und ein krimineller Angriff auf die Pressefreiheit. www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/demo...
tagesspiegel.de
Demonstranten verfolgen rechte Reporter: Mehrere Journalisten offenbar bei Protesten gegen AfD-Bundesparteitag verletzt
Ein Reporterteam des Portals „Apollo News“ sei von Demonstranten attackiert worden, berichtet das Portal. Auch Journalisten der „Jungen Freiheit“ sollen angegriffen worden sein.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"People worry about what these technologies will do to work, to children, to politics, to privacy, and to society itself. Those fears are understandable. [...] What worries me is that fear has a way of making old mistakes look like new solutions" 💯 eternallyradicalidea.com/p/nico-perri...
eternallyradicalidea.com
Nico Perrino on the most important free speech fight since the birth of the internet
The fight over social media and AI is really a fight over whether free speech will survive the digital age
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
The road to hell is paved with good intentions – and the road to the end of the open internet may well be paved with debates about protection of minors. Once introduced and enforced, it is easy to deny certain groups of people or individuals access to social media
alhohlfeld.substack.com
Access Denied. Age Verification as a Blueprint for Digital Control?
Why Age Verification and Social Media Bans Do Not Protect Minors But Threaten Civil Liberties
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Andreas Jungherr @ajungherr.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
One reading of the US government‘s restriction on foreign-national access to Claude's Fable 5 is that public focusing events and risk-centered discourse on AI create opportunities for restrictive regulation. www.anthropic.com/news/fable-m...
anthropic.com
Statement on the US government directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5
The US government has issued an export control directive to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 by any foreign national, whether inside or outside the United States.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"In the name of safeguarding democracy, open societies are importing the policies of authoritarian regimes they rightly identify as enemies of free expression" @mchangama.bsky.social www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/end-o...
foreignaffairs.com
The End of the Open Internet
Europe lost the plot on online speech.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
"Eintritt verweigert, Zugriff erweitert. Altersverifikation für soziale Medien: Blaupause für digitale Kontrolle?" Freue mich eine Gastbeitrag für @machine-vs-rage.net beigetragen zu haben in dem ich eindringlich vor der Einführung verpflichtender Altersverifikation für soziale Medien warne
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
The excessive targeting of government critics in Germany in the name of combating “hate speech” is unworthy of a liberal democracy. Harsh criticism of those in power must not trigger criminal proceedings or result in penalties for citizens. www.welt.de/politik/deut...
welt.de
Mehrere Verfahren: Beleidigung von Merz unter Facebook-Post – Gericht verhängt hohe Geldstrafe für „Lügenfritz“ - WELT
Ein Monatsgehalt Strafe für die Bezeichnung „Lügenfritz“ für Friedrich Merz unter einem Facebook-Post – dieses Urteil erging im März, wie jetzt bekannt wurde. Doch das war nicht alles. Mit 39 Kommenta...
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Owen Bennett @owbennett.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
📢 Calling all UK online safety practitioners and enthusiasts I've created a free two-part introductory course on the UK Online Safety Act, as a starting point for lawyers, public affairs practitioners, or frankly anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of the OSA and its implementation by Ofcom.
A screenshot of the course overview and what is covered in the two parts of the mini-course. The overview can be read on the course website: https://www.platform.courses/osa-mini
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
The way to hell is paved with good intentions
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
David Greene @davidgreene.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
There is tremendous global momentum behind today's efforts to age-gate the internet. The momentum is so strong and rights of young people so underappreciated that the conversation readily shifts to "how can we do this and protect privacy?" instead of "why do this?" I will keep trying to stop it. 7/7
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Gurwinder @gurwinder.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
A tribe’s collective stupidity is proportional to its demand for purity. The more closely a group must agree, the more must be trimmed from each brain to make it fit.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
"Doch sollte unser Problembewusstsein nicht davon abhängig sein, wen es gerade zufällig „trifft“. Der „Kampf“ für die Demokratie verkommt schnell zu einem Kampf gegen die Demokratie, und dies unabhängig davon, gegen wen er sich richtet"
faz.net
AfD-Verbotsverfahren: Trugschluss der wehrhaften Demokratie
Die Waffen der wehrhaften Demokratie taugen nicht für politische Kurzschlüsse. Wer sie vorschnell zieht, könnte den Rechtsstaat eher treffen als dessen Gegner.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
I'm delighted to join the academic constituency of @thegni.bsky.social as an individual expert. GNI’s multistakeholder forum serves as an important bulwark for freedom of expression and privacy in the tech sector. It is a great honour to contribute to this mission.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 09/03/2026
The internet radically expanded freedom of speech— but since then all we've been talking about is the risks. At our #FreeSpeechSummit2025, @celeup.bsky.social Director Agustina Del Campo explains why we need to redirect the conversation.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
6246 criminal charges under Germany’s highly controversial offence of insulting politicians were filed in 2025 alone, an all-time high and a troubling signal for freedom of expression. www.stern.de/politik/poli...
stern.de
Sie nannten ihn Pinocchio
Wer Politiker beleidigt, muss hierzulande schnell mit einer Anzeige rechnen. Greift der Staat im Kampf gegen Hass zu stark in die Meinungsfreiheit ein?
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
"Social media democratised public opinion, shifting influence away from elites and experts to ordinary people. LLMs will partly reverse this trend. They are a powerful, new technocratising force" @danwphilosophy.bsky.social www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/how-ai-wil...
conspicuouscognition.com
How AI Will Reshape Public Opinion
Social media democratised public opinion, shifting influence away from elites and experts to ordinary people. LLMs will partly reverse this trend. They are a powerful, new technocratising force.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Deniz Yücel @besserdeniz.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
[jetzt auch hier] Ich hatte jetzt mal Zeit, in die Inszenierung von Milo Rau am Thalia Theater in Hamburg reinzuschauen. Beim zufälligen Reinzappen fiel mir folgende 👇 Szene aus der „Vernehmung“ des „Zeugen“ Feroz Khan auf, einem jungen deutsch-pakistanischen Influencer, der für die AfD wirbt. /2
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
New Year, same story: "The accused were summoned or visited by the local police stations, and evidence was secured from their smartphones. In some cases, searches were also carried out." (25.02.2026) www.bka.de/DE/Presse/Li...
bka.de
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Ronen Steinke @ronensteinke.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Ein Rentner aus Heilbronn hat Friedrich Merz auf Facebook scherzhaft als „Pinocchio“ bezeichnet – mit langer-Nase-Emoji. Und jetzt ermittelt laut „Heilbronner Stimme“ offenbar die Kriminalpolizei wegen #Beleidigung (§ 188 StGB). #schwachkopf
stimme.de
Kanzler Merz als „Pinocchio“ bezeichnet? Ermittlungen gegen Heilbronner wegen Beleidigung
Auf der Facebook-Seite der Heilbronner Polizei schreibt ein Nutzer in Bezug auf den Besuch von Friedrich Merz und Winfried Kretschmann: „Pinocchio kommt nach HN“. Ist dies eine gezielte Ehrverletzung?
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Two years after the Digital Services Act came into full effect, what does civil society look like? Mateus Correia de Carvalho & Rachel Griffin explore how different civil society actors are engaging with the DSA, and the opportunities and barriers shaping their impact.
buff.ly
Who Speaks and Who is Heard: Civil Society’s Role in Shaping DSA Decisions
As enforcement of the DSA is starting to solidify, civil society organizations active in this field are facing increasing political hostility.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday. It is hardly surprising that calls for age verification and social media bans for minors are now being followed by demands for an end to online anonymity.
linkedin.com
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday in his Ash Wednesday speech (https://lnkd.in/dUVH87ja) It is therefore… | A...
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday in his Ash Wednesday speech (https://lnkd.in/dUVH87ja) It is therefore hard...
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Important reminder! It is a mistake to equate every intervention against Big Tech with a defence of democracy, especially given the role these platforms play in empowering marginalised voices. Some proposed cures may produce consequences worse than the disease
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Who Targets Me @whotargets.me · 13/02/2026
Meta and Google pulling out of political ads in the EU has made it harder for the Hungarian opposition to be heard. The platforms are a long way from perfect, but they're not Orban government owned or controlled in the way much of the rest of Hungarian media is.
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Gateklons @gateklons.eurosky.social · 07/02/2026
YouTube seems to be at least trialing out blocking VPNs and proxies I really fear what sort of internet the future has in store for us. Probably where you have to identity yourself to every service and where anonymity and VPN use are increasingly illegal. www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/s/3...
reddit.com
From the Piracy community on Reddit: No more vpn allowed on YouTube
Explore this post and more from the Piracy community
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
The situation in Iran stands as a clear example of how digital sovereignty empowers repression rather than protects rights, says Azadeh Akbari. It should be a warning against abandoning the idea of a free and global internet, she writes. buff.ly/9e3UUoO
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David Sullivan @davidsullivan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Stop whatever you're doing and read @farzdusa.bsky.social rejoinder to "digital sovereignty" at @futurefreespeech.org's Bedrock Principle:
bedrockprinciple.com
How Digital Sovereignty Will Lead to The Slow and Fast Erosion of The Internet
Sovereignty is not a synonym for autonomy; it is instead the uncompromising authority to impose a single will upon others.
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The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 13/01/2026
What if expressing an unpopular opinion could get your assets frozen—or stop you from entering or transiting a country? Europe has recently added to its fast-growing list of individuals sanctioned for speech deemed a threat to national security.
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Farzaneh Bad @farzdusa.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Some people in western democracies are so used to their basic freedom that they don't even notice when nation states take them away. Or support it even!
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The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 12/01/2026
On Dec. 1, 2025, we partnered with Örebro University to convene leading academics, regulators, companies, and civil society experts to confront this challenge in an in-depth roundtable examining AI’s impact on freedom of expression.
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Farzaneh Bad @farzdusa.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
My mom says Generative AI chatbots made a big difference in her life this year. In your fight with big tech, don't forget that these AI online services, can be essential for some of the most vulnerable people.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Another example of why the concept of top-down fact checking is inherently dangerous. The question "what if the other side were to use the same concept?" is no longer merely hypothetical [1/2]
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
The same instruments imposed by executive decisions are framed as a “defence of liberal democracy” when applied to political opponents, or as an “attack on liberal democracy” when applied to political allies (www.linkedin.com/posts/alexan...)
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
"This gap between user desires and current offerings indicates an opportunity: meaningful, accessible controls that provide substantive choices could meet this latent demand and increase adoption among users wanting greater agency over their digital environment"
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Martin Degeling @mrtn3000.chaos.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/12/2025
In their latest risk assessment report (www.tiktok.com/transparency/en/dsa-…) #TikTok claims that AI content with the #C2PA label that is uploaded is automatically labeled. I tested this yesterday with one video and it seems this is not true […] [Original post on chaos.social]
Quote from TikToks latest Risk Assessment report:
TikTok also works with industry groups and civil society to detect undisclosed AIGC. TikTok participates in the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (‘C2PA”), an open technical standard and content provenance solution that can provide information in a piece of content's metadata about its origins and whether AIGC models were used to create or edit it. This technology helps TikTok to detect AIGC at scale when content with C2PA metadata is uploaded to the Platform. TikTok was the first video-sharing platform to launch
the ability to read Content Credentials from C2PA.

From Q3 2024 to Q1 2025, 4,781,019 videos on TikTok were auto-labelled with the AIGC tag of “Al-generated” inthe EU.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
"In the case of the "little Nazi", the accused, an elderly, physically disabled woman in a wheelchair, admitted to the offence immediately after the police arrived. Nevertheless, her mobile phone was confiscated to secure evidence" www.welt.de/politik/deut...
welt.de
Vorwurf Politiker-Beleidigung: Hunderte Strafanträge – Merz’ ausuferndes Agieren in eigener Sache - WELT
CDU-Chef Friedrich Merz stellte seit 2021 als Oppositionsführer diverse Strafanzeigen wegen Beleidigung. WELT AM SONNTAG liegen exklusive Dokumente vor. Wegen zwei Äußerungen im Internet gegen ihn kam...
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
"Die eigentliche Frage lautet inzwischen: Ist Europas hartes Vorgehen gegen Meinungsäußerungen zu einer größeren Gefahr für die Demokratie geworden als die Extremisten, die es eindämmen soll? " @mchangama.bsky.social www.ipg-journal.de/rubriken/dem...
ipg-journal.de
Wahnhaft wehrhaft
Im Namen der Demokratie schränken europäische Staaten zunehmend die Meinungsfreiheit ein. Doch der Schuss geht nach hinten los.
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Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Warnings that AI chatbots produce “biased” voting advice are fueling pressure for tighter controls on political outputs. Jacob Mchangama and Jordi Calvet-Bademunt warn that such moves could erode freedom of expression and pluralism.
buff.ly
Dutch Warning on Chatbots Echoes Trump Attacks on "Woke AI” | TechPolicy.Press
In its effort to protect democracy from algorithms, Europe may erode the very freedom that sustains it, write Jacob Mchangama and Jordi Calvet-Bademunt.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Just 46% of Germans feel free to voice their opinions, while over 50% support banning certain unpopular ones. A recent poll by the Allensbach Institute shows a troubling climate for free expression in Germany www.faz.net/aktuell/poli...
faz.net
Allensbach-Umfrage: Die Deutschen und die Freiheit
Fast die Hälfte der Deutschen beklagt, dass man seine Meinung nicht mehr frei sagen könne. Doch ihr eigenes Verhältnis zur Freiheit ist widersprüchlich.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
A professor in Germany was banned from teaching for 16 months after the domestic intelligence service wrongly classified him as a “right-wing extremist” based solely on guilt by association: www.faz.net/aktuell/poli... German "militant democracy" is on a dangerous path
faz.net
Opfer des Verfassungsschutzes: Der Staatsfeind, der keiner war
16 Monate lang erhielt ein Professor in Hessen Lehrverbot, weil ihn der Verfassungsschutz dem „Rechtsextremismus“ zuordnete. Die Geschichte einer Peinigung.
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Lars Weisbrod @weisbrod.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
"Unter anderem soll der umstrittene Tatbestand der Politikerbeleidigung auf Journalisten ausgedehnt werden" Bitte, bitte liebe Zentristen, hört endlich auf mit diesem furchtbaren Quatsch, ihr macht alles nur noch schlimmer www.lto.de/recht/nachri...
lto.de
JuMiKo: Politikerbeleidigung auf Journalisten ausweiten
Das Saarland will Angriffe auf Medienschaffende zielgerichteter im StGB ahnden. Angeregt wird, die Politikerbeleidigung auf Journalisten auszudehnen.
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Lars Weisbrod @weisbrod.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
wenn sich etwas tatsächlich so verhält, wie einer behauptet, dass es sich verhält, dann „insinuiert“ er eigentlich gar nicht, oder?
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
📊 The #DSA data access portal is live, and VLOPs/VLOSEs have begun publishing their data catalogues. Trying to collect the links again: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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