A group of German politicians have proposed a register for people who spread alleged “disinformation” about climate change.
Apollo News reports that a group of five CDU (Christian Democrats) MPs in the state legislature of Baden-Württemberg are calling on the state government to create a public list of individuals who have repeatedly spread alleged “disinformation” about climate change.
The proposal follows a motion submitted by former Baden-Württemberg Consumer Protection Minister Peter Hauk and four fellow CDU members of the state parliament. The legislators are asking the state government whether it considers the creation of a publicly accessible register to be “reasonable and legally viable” and, if so, what measures it would take to establish one. They also want to know whether the government plans to pursue other recommendations put forward by the Consumer Commission. The motion is dated October 27 and was formally submitted to the state parliament on November 3.
The Consumer Commission is an independent advisory body to the state government of Baden-Württemberg, which is currently made up of a coalition between leftist Greens and the nominally conservative CDU.
In early October, the commission published a statement in which it recommended the establishment of a public registry for individuals and organizations that repeatedly disseminate information contradicting the mainstream climate change narrative.
The proposed database would record statements and positions made by the individuals concerned, identify content classified as false, and provide users with information deemed accurate, together with links to supporting sources.
The commission’s definition of climate misinformation extends beyond denying global warming or stating that human activity is not responsible for it, encompassing claims that measures meant to “protect the climate” are “ineffective or harmful.”
Consequently, the proposal would cover not only statements about the alleged scientific evidence for climate change but also political arguments over the necessity, effectiveness, and possible negative consequences of specific climate policies.
The commission recommends social media companies be required to remove automated accounts that disseminate “climate misinformation” and prevent such content from appearing in users’ feeds. It also proposes classifying the spread of “climate misinformation” through AI chatbots as a prohibited AI practice, which could expose providers to government sanctions.
The statement’s principal authors are Andreas Oehler, a finance professor based in Bamberg, and economist Matthias Horn.