Although we are only getting started, we aim to progressively extend our coverage of countries around the world.
8.8
Full democracyFlawed democracyHybrid regimeAuthoritarian regime
82.04
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDifficultVery Serious
Germany has generally been stable since the mid-20th century, political tensions have grown in recent years following a sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers in the country, and the growing popularity of right-wing populist movements.
While the overall state of internet freedom in Germany remains robust, internet freedom declined during the coverage period. New pieces of legislation that continue to expand the online surveillance powers of domestic and foreign intelligence services, as well as police authorities, raise privacy concerns, particularly laws allowing for the monitoring of citizens’ and online activities justified as a preventive measure and those requiring online platforms and messaging services to turn over user information to the police. However, the media and civil society frequently and openly discuss the state of internet freedom in Germany. Issues, such as the European Union (EU) order to block Russian-state owned media outlets, are often given great prominence in widely read online news publications. An independent court system provides oversight on regulatory measures adopted by the executive and the legislature.