German Proposals for Increased Control of Online Media after the U.S. Presidential Election

The Polish Institute of International Affairs is an analytical institution established by an act of Parliament in 1996 to carry out research and provide expertise in international affairs. PISM disseminates information on contemporary international issues and maintains contacts with academic and political centres in Poland and abroad. The Institute runs courses for public servants, maintains a library (open to the public; 165,000 books and journals), organises conferences, and publishes books, periodicals and documents on Polish foreign policy and international matters.

The funding for PISM comes from the budget. The director is appointed by the prime minister for a term of five years, following consultation with the minister of foreign affairs. The minister supervises the Institute and appoints its advisory council, which includes a representative of the President of the Republic of Poland, academics and officials.The 2016 U.S. presidential election showed that the fight for voters on social media might have resulted in the spread of false information, propaganda and disinformation. In Germany’s upcoming 2017 election campaign, a similar scenario might unfold. To prevent it, the German government intended to take preventive measures, but against new forms of online threats they might prove insufficient.