German Government Ramps Up Crackdown on Free Speech
David Lindfield
December 25, 2025 - 9:15 am
Taxpayer funding for Germany’s digital speech-regulation programs has expanded dramatically over the past decade as the nation’s government seeks to crack down on the general public’s free speech, according to a new investigation.
The German government has increased spending on anti-free speech efforts more than fivefold since 2020, reaching roughly €105.6 million by 2025.
The findings come from The Censorship Network: Regulation and Repression in Germany Today, a report by Liber-net, a digital civil liberties organization that tracks speech-restriction and information-control initiatives across Europe.
The report outlines a rapidly growing network of government ministries, publicly funded “fact-checking” groups, academic research hubs, nonprofits, and private-sector partners that now work in tandem to regulate online communication.
https://slaynews.com/news/german-government-ramps-up-crackdown-free-speech/
