Shortly before the German parliament's summer recess, lawmakers approved a whole series of reforms. "These reforms are meant to get Germany back on track," said Chancellor Friedrich Merz optimistically.
Toward the bottom of the 34-point list of reforms is something that has begun to cause great controversy: the ruling coalition of conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/ Christian Social Union (CSU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) wants to significantly alter the Freedom of Information Act (IFG), which has been in effect since 2006. Critics say, the plan is to abolish it altogether.
The IFG grants every individual the right to access official information held by federal agencies. This is the law that many organizations, including environmental groups, consumer protection organizations and, not least, journalists, cite to demand that government agencies provide them with data and substantive material quickly and free of charge.
Exceptions apply only to security-related information, such as that held by intelligence agencies, which is, understandably, subject to special protection.As cyberattacks threaten Germany, can Berlin keep data safe?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
