No likes for lies! Over 25,000 young people across Germany take part in Safer Internet Day
Ludwigshafen, 11.02.2025 | Media literacy is the key to a strong democracy. Hundreds of institutions across Germany have therefore joined this year's klicksafe appeal "No likes for lies!" and are sending a strong signal for a better internet for children and young people today on Safer Internet Day. The significant increase in manipulative deepfakes, extremist content and populist misinformation online shows how urgent the need for action is: according to the JIM study, 61% of young people surveyed have already been confronted with fake news online, 54% with extreme political views and 43% with conspiracy narratives (JIM 2024).
"False information is spreading faster today than ever before - and that is precisely what poses a threat to our democracy. Young people must learn to recognize fake news, debunk deepfakes and question extremist content. Media literacy is the key to navigating the digital world safely - and it starts with critical thinking and facts instead of fakes. The figures show how great the need for action is: more than half of young people have already been confronted with fake news or extreme content. We cannot simply accept this! We need to give young people tools and firmly anchor digital education in schools and society. Because those who learn to see through false information today will protect our democracy tomorrow," says Lisa Paus, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
Dr. Marc Jan Eumann, Director of the Rhineland-Palatinate Media Authority and Chairman of the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) adds: "Instead of lies, we need facts and fair rules on the Internet. This is where the big platforms need to live up to their responsibility and delete anti-democratic content. When the algorithm flushes lies, hate and hate speech onto cell phones, klicksafe provides the right support - because media literacy is democratic literacy."
Together, the partners of the Safer Internet DE network are implementing this year's Safer Internet Day motto "No likes for lies! Recognize extremism, populism and deepfakes online" with a wide range of offers. In doing so, they not only reach thousands of pupils, but also teachers, other educational professionals and parents. In addition to the klicksafe Awareness Center, the network also includes the complaints offices of eco, FSM and jugendschutz.net as well as the counseling services of Nummer gegen Kummer e.V.
"Deepfakes open up new dimensions of manipulative deception and have the potential to strongly influence public opinion. We all need to become more confident in dealing with (dis)information online and are therefore delighted about the high level of participation on Safer Internet Day," emphasizes Deborah Woldemichael, coordinator of the Safer Internet Centre Germany.
Over 300 events, offers and projects are planned throughout Germany for Safer Internet Day. All activities, materials and further information can be found at klicksafe.de/sid. The day and month of action will be accompanied and discussed on social media with the hashtags #SID2025, #SID25, #KeineLikesfürLügen. The Safer Internet Center and the EU initiative klicksafe are offering the following activities for Safer Internet Day:
Safer Internet DE campaigns
Digital school lesson on February 11, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. On Safer Internet Day, experts in media education and youth media protection from the Safer Internet DE network will provide up-to-date knowledge and important background information on the online strategies of right-wing extremists.
Web seminar "No likes for lies: What to do against populist and extremist (deep) fakes on the internet? -What professionals & parents need to know!" on February 18, 17:00 to 18:30 Experts from the Safer Internet DE association will provide information on the challenges and options for dealing with populist and extremist (deep) fakes online. Legal aspects will also be discussed, including the evaluation of content in the context of applicable laws and possible legal action against the spread of disinformation. To the registration.
Specialist and press event on Safer Internet Day
Käthe-Kollwitz-Gymnasium, Berlin, on 11 February, 10:00 to 13:00 The EU initiative klicksafe is organizing workshops, activities and a panel discussion with pupils on the motto "No likes for lies!" at Käthe-Kollwitz-Gymnasium. In addition to the pupils, the following will take part in the panel discussion: Lisa Paus, Member of the German Bundestag and Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; Theresa Lehmann, Amadeu Antonio Foundation; Deborah Woldemichael, EU initiative klicksafe; Martin Drechsler, FSM and Gizem Çelik, Content Creator. Moderation: Polo Türk, Fritz-Radio/rbb and member of the board of Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen.
Press kit and materials from klicksafe for Safer Internet Day
- Press releases on Safer Internet Day
- Video message from Lisa Paus, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
- Expert talks with Ahmad Mansour, psychologist & author and Bernd Zywietz, Head of Political Extremism at jugendschutz.net
- Logos, sharepics and materials for the "No likes for lies!"campaign
For school lessons and extracurricular youth work
- Teaching material: The completely revised klicksafe handbook "Rechts. Extreme. Online. - How to empower young people against right-wing extremist influences on the internet"
For teenagers and young adults
- Actionbound game #cleanyournetwork: In the boot camp against right-wing extremist hate and for democracy on social media, young people learn to expose and oppose right-wing extremist online strategies.
- Info card set: The most important information in postcard format on hidden symbols, strategies against manipulation and fact-checking tips.
For parents and interested parties
- Guide: "Right-wing extremist online strategies between trend and camouflage - how to make your child strong against right-wing extremist content on social media and the internet"
Press contact:
Susanne Wohmann Press officer klicksafe Mobile: +49 152 22577620 Email:
wohmann☞ Please insert an @ here ☜medienanstalt-rlp☞ Please insert a dot here ☜de
www.klicksafe.de/presse
Hashtags: #SID2025, #SID25, #NoLikesforLies
About Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global day of action for more online safety and a better internet for children and young people. It has been held on the Tuesday of the second week in February since 2004 and focuses on a new topic every year as part of the international motto "Together for a better internet". In Germany, Safer Internet Day is coordinated by the EU initiative klicksafe.
About the Safer Internet DE network
The European Union's Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) supports Safer Internet Centres in 27 European countries with the aim of promoting media literacy among children, parents and teachers, raising awareness of possible risks on the Internet and offering children and young people advice on online problems. Complaints offices for illegal online content are also made available. In Germany, the Safer Internet Center is implemented by the association Safer Internet DE . Diesem gehören neben den Beschwerdestellen von eco, FSM und jugendschutz.net das Awareness Centre klicksafe sowie die Beratungsangebote von Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. an.
klicksafe is the European Union's media literacy initiative for more safety online. With a wide range of offers, klicksafe supports the confident and critical use of digital media. Educational professionals, parents and interested users can find up-to-date information and materials at klicksafe.de. In Germany, klicksafe is run by the Rhineland-Palatinate Media Authority.
The Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter (FSM e.V.) is a self-regulatory body for the telemedia sector recognized by the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM). It supervises and advises a large number of companies in the telecommunications and online sector. Since 1997, the association has been committed to ensuring that children and young people can grow up with a safer and better Internet - in particular by combating illegal content in online media that is harmful to minors and detrimental to their development. To this end, the FSM operates a complaints office that anyone can contact to report online content. The FSM Complaints Office is co-financed by the European Union under the umbrella of Saferinternet.de. The FSM's other tasks also include extensive educational work and the promotion of media literacy among children, young people and adults.
Contact: FSM e.V., www.fsm.de, Leontine Päßler, Beuthstraße 6, 10117 Berlin; Tel.: (030) 24 04 84 - 43, paessler☞ Please insert an @ here ☜fsm☞ Please insert a dot here ☜de
With around 1,000 member companies, eco(www.eco.de) is the leading association of the Internet industry in Europe. Since 1995, eco has played a key role in shaping the Internet, promoting new technologies, creating framework conditions and representing the interests of its members in politics and on international committees. The protection of minors has been an important issue for eco since 1996. At that time, the Internet Content Task Force (ICTF) was founded with the aim of preventing the distribution of illegal content and content harmful to minors on the Internet. This developed into the eco Complaints Office, which has now been operated by eco for around 30 years. Since 2004, the Complaints Office has also been accessible via the internet-beschwerdestelle.de web portal operated jointly with the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter (FSM).
Contact: eco - Association of the Internet Industry, Capital City Office, Französische Straße 48, 10117 Berlin, Tel. 030 / 20 21 567 - 0, E-Mail: christin.mueller☞ Please insert an @ here ☜eco☞ Please insert a dot here ☜de, Web: www.beschwerdestelle.eco.de
As a helpline in the Safer Internet DE network, the "Nummer gegen Kummer" counseling services offer support for children and young people as well as parents and other guardians for all questions and (online) concerns. Anonymous, confidential and free of charge. Children's and young people's hotline on tel. 116111 (Mon - Sat from 2 to 8 p.m., Saturdays "Young people advise young people"). Online counseling for children and young people in the password-protected online portal at www.nummergegenkummer.de (live chat Mon to Thu 2-8 p.m., e-mail counseling available around the clock). Parents' hotline on 0800 - 111 0 550 (Mon - Fri from 9 am - 5 pm and Tue & Thu until 7 pm). Helpline Ukraine for Ukrainian children, young people and parents on 0800 - 500 225 0 (Mon - Fri from 2 pm to 5 pm).
Contact: Nummer gegen Kummer e.V., www.nummergegenkummer.de,presse☞ Please insert an @ here ☜nummergegenkummer☞ Please insert a dot here ☜de, Tel.: +49 (0) 202 259 059 - 0
jugendschutz.net acts as the joint federal and state competence center for the protection of children and young people on the Internet. The center researches dangers and risks in youth-related services. It works to ensure that violations of youth protection regulations are eliminated and that services are designed in such a way that children and young people can use them safely. The youth ministries of the federal states founded jugendschutz.net in 1997. Its tasks were defined in the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV) in 2003. Since then, the agency has been linked to the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM). In 2021, the federal government also assigned a statutory task to jugendschutz.net as a joint competence center in the German Youth Protection Act (JuSchG). jugendschutz.net is financed by the highest state youth authorities, the state media authorities and funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the European Union. jugendschutz.net receives reports of violations of youth media protection via its online complaints office. Violations on the internet can be reported at: https://www.jugendschutz.net/verstoss-melden