Germany moves to limit Information Freedom Act, sparking press freedom concerns

Information Freedom Act Germany press freedom IFG reform Alexander Dobrindt

The coalition government of Germany is preparing a reform of the Information Freedom Act (IFG). In the program agreed by the CDU/SPD coalition, point 32 proposes to restrict citizens’ and journalists’ right to request government documents. The draft would raise the maximum fee for an IFG request from the current €500 to several thousand euros, require requesters to prove a “legitimate interest”, and abolish the independent Information‑Freedom Commissioner office.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is identified as the driving force behind the changes, and former minister Philipp Amthor is cited as having been involved in earlier IFG‑related matters. Critics argue that the amendments are aimed at curbing the transparency platform FragDenStaat, which has published numerous scandal‑revealing investigations. The SPD party has announced it will oppose the restrictions.

If enacted, the reforms would significantly narrow press freedom and public oversight of the state, raising concerns among journalists, civil‑society groups and opposition politicians.

Entities: Alexander Dobrindt · FragDenStaat · German Federal Government · Philipp Amthor · SPD

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] The German coalition government plans to amend the Information Freedom Act (IFG) to restrict access.
[● 5 SOURCES] The amendment would require requesters to demonstrate a legitimate interest, making approvals easier to deny.
[● 2 SOURCES] Critics say the changes target the transparency platform FragDenStaat.
[● 5 SOURCES] The draft would raise the maximum fee for an IFG request from €500 to several thousand euros.
[● 5 SOURCES] Philipp Amthor was previously involved in IFG‑related matters during coalition negotiations.
[● 5 SOURCES] Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is the driving force behind the IFG changes.
[● 5 SOURCES] The reform would dissolve the independent Information‑Freedom Commissioner office.
[● 2 SOURCES] The SPD party plans to oppose the proposed IFG restrictions.