The ‘Save Social’ initiative has amassed over 160,000 supporters in just one week, marking a resounding success. By Tuesday lunchtime (18 February, 11:00), 163,000 individuals had signed the WeAct petition. ‘Save Social’ is calling for platform monopolies such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X to have their massive privileges stripped away, and for online services that strengthen democracy to be expanded.
Voices from the coalition
Marc-Uwe Kling, author of ‘The Kangaroo Chronicles’, was one of the first to support the initiative.
The internet is the greatest platform for exchanging views in history. Therefore, fighting for internet freedom means fighting for freedom itself. It is encouraging that so many people are involved!
The author Nina George adds:
The dominant communication structures of Big Tech are the antithesis of pluralism and the foundation of free thought. It is therefore imperative that their privileges are scrutinised. The number of signatories shows that alternatives must be strengthened.
I believe that social media platforms, which are run by big tech companies, are the main drivers of the global decline of democracy. We must free ourselves from their control.
Die größte Gefahr für die Presse- und Meinungsfreiheit in dieser Zeit geht nicht etwa von Faktenchecks aus, wie einige behaupten, sondern von Monopolen im Medienbereich. Es kann nicht sein, dass wenige Multimilliardäre darüber entscheiden, welche Inhalte Millionen Menschen angezeigt werden und welche nicht.
It’s fantastic that so many people support the aims of ‘Save Social’. We are not powerless! Together, we can effect change and strengthen alternative digital platforms for information and debate.
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.
The petition
On Tuesday (11 February), ‘Save Social’ launched a petition on the WeAct platform to gather public support for its objectives. The petition can be signed via the campaign page or directly at weact.campact.de/p/save-social (external link).
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:
- Save Social Björn Staschen presse@savesocial.eu
