When Members of Parliament regrouped in Berlin last year after the German Federal elections, one of the first things they did was establish the Enquete-Kommission to look into the internet and digital society. The group was tasked with examining how Germany’s political, legal and social frameworks need to adapt to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital revolution. Since the Kommission’s establishment, discussions in Germany about the internet have been infused with new energy. A wide variety of stakeholders are coming to the table to share their positions and arguments. Berlin’s political community is getting involved in the discussion about the possibilities of the web as never before. And German web users from all walks of life are finding their voice, contributing to the debate and sharing their views on what the internet means for them and for society at large. At Google, we’re keen to stimulate and support this very important discussion. That’s why we’re one of the initiators (together with a wide range of other interested parties ) of a new thinktank, the Internet & Society Co:llaboratory , which we also fund. We think it takes a refreshingly independent and innovative approach to debating how the internet affects us all in our daily lives – and how we can ensure it continues to be an engine of innovation and economic growth. At the core of the Co:llaboratory are independent internet policy experts representing the worlds of science, business, and civil society. These experts bring a diverse range of viewpoints to the table and are responsible for both monitoring developments in the digital world and defining the key issues the group wants to debate. Every quarter, they will make proposals for how developments in the digital world can be framed and used in the best possible way for society as a whole. It is not called the Co:llaboratory for nothing. Every three months, the group will test and refine its positions and recommendations on a specific topic with a wide community of stakeholders. Their feedback and positions are then brought together into a quarterly report which gives a snapshot of how people think and feel about particular issues. The Co:llaboratory also shares its findings via its website and its YouTube channel , which is managed and moderated by politik-digital.de , one of the co-initiators of the thinktank. The Co:llaboratory recently issued its first report on the state of online innovation culture in Germany – one of the first to come out after the establishment of the parliamentary commission. The findings are based on a survey of more than 530 members of the broader German internet community, and on more than 2,300 responses and statements, covering five key areas: Internet governance and standardisation Removing obstacles to innovation: legal frameworks and intellectual property Data protection and the principle of choice Digital communication, democracy and freedom of speech Reducing the digital divide and the importance of access to the internet I’d encourage you to read the report: it’s insightful, thought-provoking, controversial in places. We don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s said in the report either. But what’s important is that there is now a recognition in Germany that the internet really matters and that it is vital to ensuring we remain innovative and competitive as a country. We’re glad to be engaged in the debate, and we hope that there will be more initiatives like the Co:llaboratory, ensuring that the views of web users are represented too.
Posted by: Dr. Max Senges, Google Policy team, Germany
[BTW: if you’re not a German speaker, you might want to use Google Translate to take a closer look at some of the links I’ve included in this post.]
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