Germany wants X to push state-approved content – report

German regulators plan to force social media platforms such as X to boost government-approved “reliable” media outlets in their algorithms, according to leaked documents. The US government has vowed to respond over what it sees as pressure on American tech firms.

In a draft ‘Digital Media State Treaty’ seen by Apollo News, the heads of Germany’s 14 state media regulators have outlined plans to boost the visibility of “public value media” on social media platforms such as X and TikTok.

In order to combat “disinformative, polarizing, or merely attention-grabbing content,” the regulation would force platforms to alter their algorithms to prioritize content from mainstream news sources, such as Germany’s ARD and ZDF broadcasters. Content will be ranked by its “timeliness, relevance to the public’s interest in information, and journalistic context,” and will appear accordingly in users’ feeds, the draft states.