Germany proposes national centre to combat online disinformation

The SPD Economic Forum warned that generative AI‑driven false news and foreign‑run campaigns threaten Germany’s economy and democracy. In an exclusive position paper, it called for a "national disinformation defence centre" to coordinate real‑time detection, response between authorities, platforms and civil society, public‑resilience training and sector‑specific guidance.

At the same time, Germany’s domestic security agency (BfV) reported a wave of forged posts featuring German media logos ahead of state elections in Saxony‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Berlin. The material resembles the previously identified "Matrjoschka" campaign, which French investigators linked to Russian digital interference aimed at sowing division and discrediting journalists. The BfV warned that further hybrid attacks could target the elections, underscoring the need for improved coordination that the SPD forum advocates.