Canada and Europe Need to Build a Firewall Against US Tech Coercion Published: 17 September 2025 Commentary Europe and Canada can only protect their digital ecosystems against US interference if they start investing in tech sovereignty now. Drew Mitnick, Teresa Eder
In Favour of a Multi-Speed Europe Published: 7 July 2025 Presidents' column Today, a united Europe no longer means everyone at the same time. On key issues such as defence, digitalisation, and key technologies, alliances of the willing are needed – both within and beyond the EU. Jan Philipp Albrecht
Trump and Big Tech: Europe’s Sovereignty at Stake Published: 24 January 2025 Presidents’ column The EU still has strong rules for the major digital platforms. However, under Donald Trump and his allies – above all powerful tech CEOs such as Musk and Zuckerberg – the USA is becoming an open opponent of these regulations. Jan Philipp Albrecht
Laptop generals and bot armies: The digital front of Russia’s Ukraine war Published: 1 March 2022 Analysis Digital technology plays a key role in the armed conflict in Ukraine – as a tool for cyberattacks and digital protest, and as an accelerator for information and disinformation. Zora Siebert , Sabine Muscat
Proposals for detoxifying the debate culture: Less disinformation and hate in the election campaign Published: 30 September 2021 Analysis The German parliamentary election campaign played out on the internet as never before. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this was certainly necessary, but it brought with it all the evils we have previously seen in US election campaigns: disinformation campaigns and hate speech were used to discredit candidates, paid political online advertising and foreign influence circumvented basic democratic values. Vérane Meyer, Zora Siebert
Senegal: “If I don’t know, I ask – if I know, I share.” Published: 22 September 2021 Interview The internet increasingly enables people in Senegal to express their opinions and be part of democracy – this has become clear in digital initiatives such as Sunu 2012 or #FreeSenegal. Senegalese activist Cheikh Fall explains in an interview how important (pan-African) networking is in this context. Dr Selly Ba, Maria Kind
More devices, insufficient skills: Digital literacy gap adds to educational inequity in Germany Published: 15 April 2021 The Covid-19-related switch to online learning in German schools could exacerbate existing educational inequalities, due to wide variations in access and digital literacy at home. Julia Gerick
Quality, not speed, is what we need - A case for a sustainable transformation of digital education Published: 15 April 2021 German schools have been slower to embrace digital education than US schools over the past decade, due to concerns about the influence of commercial players and data protection. The Covid-19 pandemic has now significantly increased reform pressure in Germany. Sigrid Hartong
Smart Green World? Published: 8 June 2020 In their book, Steffen Lange and Tilman Santarius investigate how digitalization influences environmental and social sustainability. Steffen Lange, Tilman Santarius
Digitalisation Published: 14 December 2023 The digitalisation is fundamentally changing our way of learning, working, and communicating. ➤ On this page, you will find current articles, publications, and thematic focuses on the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation.
Division Digital Policy Published: 15 March 2022 Referat The digital transformation has changed the way we learn, work and communicate. However, the increase in automated and autonomous decisions, the formation of monopolies and the enormous consumption of resources through digitalisation also present us with regulatory challenges. The Heinrich Böll Foundation sees itself as an impulse generator for design approaches: The digital transformation must be shaped in a participatory, confident and sustainable way.
