The Save Social initiative has called on the CDU and SPD to include specific commitments in the coalition agreement to safeguard the democratic power of social media. On the day of the German Bundestag’s inaugural session, the initiative presented more than 250,000 signatures to MPs from various parties, including Saskia Esken, chair of the SPD. Save Social co-founder Björn Staschen explained:
It is high time to change course. Germany and Europe must take a firm stance against the digital colonialism practised by a handful of major technology corporations.
When powerful billionaires dictate the rules of our democratic discourse, our democracy is in grave danger. Recent events in the US show that we cannot wait any longer – we must act now.
With more than 250,000 supporters, the Save Social initiative is one of the most successful petitions ever on Campact e. V.’s WeAct petition platform. On Tuesday (25 March 2025), the initiative handed its petition over to Saskia Esken, the SPD chair and Member of the Bundestag; Dr Till Steffen, a Member of the Bundestag for the Greens; and Donata Vogtschmidt, a Member of the Bundestag for The Left. Save Social had asked for a meeting with politicians from all democratic parties in the Bundestag.
The demands
The petition sets out ten key demands aimed at strengthening alternative networks while ensuring a fairer and more open exchange on Big Tech corporations’ monopoly platforms. For example, public institutions should make their content available on open platforms too. The EU, the federal government, and the federal states are urged to invest more heavily in developing and improving the user-friendliness of alternative platforms, and to create opportunities for such platforms to be operated on a not-for-profit basis.
Furthermore, the signatories are calling for market share caps on tech giants and a review of Big Tech’s immunity from liability. Links to content outside the monopoly networks (‘outlinks’) should not be disadvantaged in terms of reach and visibility. Large platforms should also introduce open standards and interoperability between services, and combat disinformation and electoral manipulation by establishing independent supervisory bodies.
Who we are
‘Save Social’ is supported by, amongst others, the musicians Rocko Schamoni, Dota Kehr, Jan Delay and Sebastian Krumbiegel; the authors Marc-Uwe Kling, Saša Stanišić, Nina George, Uwe Timm and Isabel Bogdan, journalists such as Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen, Ellen Heinrichs and Natalie Sablowski, the entrepreneur Sebastian Klein, the philanthropist Hans Schöpflin, the tech blogger Sascha Pallenberg, the former Federal Data Protection Commissioner Ulrich Kelber, the media scholar Martin Andree, the trade unions Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV), the German Journalists’ Union (dju) within ver.di, unisono (German Music and Orchestra Association), as well as Freelens, the professional association for photographers, Greenpeace e. V., and the organisations Campact e. V., digitalcourage e. V. and Teilenswert e. V. The full list of signatories can also be found at savesocial.eu.
Press Images
Photographs are available following the handover at savesocial.eu/download
Press contact
For enquiries:
- Björn Staschen presse@savesocial.eu
