Germany: Nearly 90% of voters fear foreign interference

 Friday, February 7, 2025

Islamabad (News / Pakistan Point News - DW Urdu - 07 February 2025) German voters are very concerned about foreign election interference, according to a new poll published by the Brussels-based digital industry association Bitcom.

According to the survey, a total of more than 88 percent of eligible voters surveyed expressed this opinion and expressed concern that foreign powers, whether governments, groups or individuals, would try to influence the vote through social media campaigns during the election.

However, only 1,000 eligible voters were included in the survey for the question and answer session.

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In the survey, Russia topped the list of activities that were most suspected with a probability of 45 percent, while the United States came in second with 42 percent.

China was also cited as a concern by 26 percent and Eastern European actors by eight percent.

These voters provided information on how they form their political opinions, with 82 percent citing conversations with friends and family, while 76 percent mentioned television and 69 percent mentioned the internet.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents also felt that the next government should prioritize digital policy and address the potential problem of internet and social media misinformation.

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The trend was picked up by Bitcom president Ralf Wintergriesst, with 71 percent of respondents calling for the creation of a new independent ministry to address the issue.

"The new digital ministry must be equipped with all the necessary rights and resources, it needs its own budget and digital conditions for new laws and projects," says Ralf Wintergriest.

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A third of voters who say they use the internet as a source of news and information told Bitcom they have already encountered misinformation online.

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The biggest concerns expressed by voters are related to so-called deepfakes, i.e. realistic but completely fake, videos, images or audio, and targeted disinformation.

Some 56 percent of respondents said that German democracy is not prepared to cope with such threats.

A further 30 percent of respondents said they had already been exposed to online disinformation about the elections.

"Voters are becoming increasingly aware of misinformation," said Bitcom's Wintergrust. "This is an important first step against fake news."

Disinformation can dramatically affect German federal elections by swaying public opinion in general and discrediting candidates or parties."

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Wintergrust called elections "the heart of democracy" but warned that "misinformation undermines trust in the democratic process."

However, he added that "an informed society is the best protection against digital manipulation."

German voters suspect Russian and US interference

Russia is at the forefront of foreign interference in elections, and its efforts in past US and European elections provide ample evidence of this.

An obvious source of active US interference is Elon Musk.

Musk, the world's richest man, Donald Trump's biggest single donor and owner of social media X, has insulted German leaders and has been outspoken in his support for the far-right AfD, calling it Germany's only hope.

Domestic threats cannot be ignored either

China is the third country most likely to be suspected of election meddling in the survey.

China is also known for its active involvement in dangerous cyber activities.

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In addition to its digital operations, China has also found its way into the German political system by infiltrating political parties. There has been talk of Chinese influence in the far-right AfD in particular.

At the same time, questions have been raised about the China-Russia alliance.

Thomas Haldane Wang said of the issue in 2022, "If Russian meddling is like a hurricane hitting Germany, then China is like global warming."

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However, the Bitcom survey warned of domestic threats and 66 percent of voters expressed concern about the way the AfD is targeting young voters with its aggressive campaign on social media.

87 percent of voters believed that society itself should do more to counter far-right voices online