Germany set to restrict its Freedom of Information Act
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Germany's ruling coalition proposes restricting the Freedom of Information Act, citing security threats.
The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition wants to amend Germany's Freedom of Information Act (IFG), effective since 2006. Proposed changes include limiting requests to natural persons (excluding NGOs), raising fees significantly, redacting government employee names, and potentially restricting access to German and EU citizens. Critics, including 110 civil society organizations like Greenpeace and Amnesty International, say this would effectively abolish transparency. The SPD parliamentary group has publicly opposed the curtailment. The IFG was widely used: about 105,000 requests from 2015-2022, with information disclosed in most cases.
What commenters are saying
Commenters are strongly critical, viewing the CDU's push as a reduction of transparency that enables corruption. Some note the SPD's public opposition, but others point out the SPD voted for a similar Berlin version, casting doubt on its resistance. A key debate centers on restricting requests to citizens, with some seeing logic and others arguing it's a minor issue compared to excluding organizations and raising fees. Several mention other nations' similar trends, but a counterpoint argues the decline trope is ahistorical and not unique to today.