Democracy is changing, not least in digital spaces. We mustn’t passively standby but get active.
In our project “Upgrade Democracy”, we build bridges between diverse, international actors and disseminate solutions that successfully counter disinformation in their respective contexts and/or innovatively use digital tools to strengthen democracy.
Democracies around the world are under pressure. Targeted disinformation campaigns by anti-democratic forces are igniting and fueling polarization, radicalization and discord. Their dangerous goal is to destabilize Western democracies and expand their own sphere of power.
Disinformation campaigns create and exacerbate disunity, polarization and conflict among the population. In the long term, they undermine trust in democratic institutions, processes and actors. That is why they pose a threat to democracy as a whole.
Disinformation is not a new phenomenon, but it unfolds a new dimension and dynamic in our digitalized public sphere.
Disinformation campaigns adopt the functional logic of social media: The more emotionalized, controversial or pointed the statements, the faster and stronger the posts and comments are spread by the algorithms of the major social platforms, which are optimized for clicks and reactions. Rising numbers of users and the trend toward more and more people informing themselves on social platforms increase the damage potential of such campaigns.
It is essential that we consciously deal with disinformation and take measures that protect and strengthen democratic, liberal processes. In a nutshell: democracy needs an upgrade.
All of us – citizens, politicians, journalists, academics and activists – must ensure that democracy is equipped to meet the challenges of the digital public sphere and make better use of the opportunities it presents. After all, digitization also represents an opportunity for democratic states and their citizens by creating new possibilities for political participation, more diverse discourse and greater transparency. Together and in constant exchange with experts and partners, we can and want to contribute to this discourse. We are not only on the lookout for good-practice approaches internationally, but in 2024 we will also be awarding the Reinhard Mohn Prize on this topic.
This is us
Cathleen Berger
Co-Lead
Cathleen Berger’s professional experience spans across sectors: academia, government, non-profit, corporate, and start-up. Her work and research focus on the intersection of digital technologies, sustainability, and social impact. She currently works with the Bertelsmann Stiftung as Co-Lead for Upgrade Democracy as well as the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2024 and Senior Expert on future technologies and sustainability. In addition, she occasionally advises and works with social purpose companies and organisations on their climate and social impact strategies.
Previously, she directed the B Corporation certification process of a pre-seed climate tech start-up, launched and headed up Mozilla’s environmental sustainability programme, worked within the International Cyber Policy Coordination Staff at the German Foreign Office, as a consultant with Global Partners Digital, a research assistant at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and a visiting lecturer at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
Co-Lead
Charlotte Freihse
Project Manager
Charlotte Freihse is a project manager in the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Upgrade Democracy project, where she focuses primarily on platform governance and disinformation, as well as the impact of digital technologies on public opinion-forming and discourse. Before joining the foundation, she was a freelancer in the newsroom of Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). In parallel, she was a research assistant in the European research project NETHATE and developed a categorization system for intervention measures against online hate speech with the University of Jena and Das NETTZ. Charlotte holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies with a focus on digital technologies in conflicts as well as peace processes.
Project Manager
Jutta Pohl
Project Assistant
Jutta started to support the Upgrade Democracy project in the Democracy & Cohesion program in October 2022. Her present position as Project Assistant holds the responsibilities connected with the administrative and organizational functions ensuring effective office management in day-to-day business. In addition, she is also responsible for the organization of events in the context of the project.
Jutta graduated as a European Secretary from the Academy for Management Assistants in Lippstadt. She gained professional experience in various companies in the music industry, including positions as Assistant to the Artist & Repertoire Manager, Secretary to the Managing Director, as well as in Music Studio Management. In August 2000 she joined the Bertelsmann Stiftung, where she has since then taken on tasks as Project as well as Program Assistant.
Project Assistant
Dr. Joachim Rother
Project Manager
Dr. Joachim Rother is Project Manager in the Upgrade Democracy Team at Bertelsmann Stiftung and responsible for the Reinhard Mohn Award 2024. Prior to this position, Joachim was in charge of the Israel portfolio of Bertelsmann Stiftung, where he focused on fostering the German-Israeli relationship on a cultural, economic and political level. Joachim studied History, English and Social Studies at the University of Bamberg and holds a PhD in Crusade Studies. Prior to his work at Bertelsmann Stiftung, he served as deputy director of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Jerusalem, Israel. Joachim is alumnus of the KAS PhD scholarship program, The German Historical Institute (GHI) in Washington D.C. and of the Jerusalem Institute of the Goerres Gesellschaft.
Project Manager
Susen Schildmann-Knaak
Reinhard Mohn Preis Office
Susen Schildmann-Knaak is the Project Assistant of the Reinhard Mohn Prize Office. Currently she works for the project “Upgrade Democracy”, Program “Democracy and Cohesion” of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. With the Reinhard Mohn Prize, the Bertelsmann Stiftung honors individuals and initiatives that have made an outstanding contribution to pioneering solutions to social and political challenges. The award is based on a worldwide search for innovative concepts and exemplary approaches to solving challenges that are crucial to the future viability of Germany and Europe.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung has established the Reinhard Mohn Prize Office to support the Reinhard Mohn Prize. The position is permanent in order to ensure the transfer of knowledge and experience between the various Reinhard Mohn Prizes.
Susen Schildmann-Knaak is a legal and notary secetary, state-certified business economist (AWS/FH Hamburg), graduate management assistant Bad Harzburg Academy and many more.
She has been working for the Bertelsmann Group since 2002.
Reinhard Mohn Preis Office
Julia Tegeler
Project Manager
Julia Tegeler is a project manager in the Program “Democracy and Cohesion” of the Bertelsmann Foundation. In the project “Upgrade Democracy” she deals with the question of how democratic discourse can be strengthened in the digital space. She is working with civil society partners to make a practical contribution to better dealing with disinformation on the web as part of a model project. Previously, Julia Tegeler has implemented various projects for the Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2012 on values and democracy education and on strengthening social cohesion – including “TeamUp! Living Values Together,” “Young Europeans’ Forum 2019” and “Making Stendal Better.” Here, she gained particular experience in the implementation, transfer and scaling of model projects. Before working at the Bertelsmann Stiftung, she worked as a project manager for the quality of studies and teaching at Bielefeld University, as higher education policy referent at the State Rectors’ Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia, and a teaching assistant in the Philosophy Department at Bielefeld University. Julia Tegeler studied at Bielefeld University and University of Adelaide and holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy and German Studies.
Project Manager
Dr. Kai Unzicker
Co-Lead
Dr. Kai Unzicker is a senior project manager in Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Democracy and Cohesion program. He is co-leader of the Upgrade Democracy project, which focuses on the opportunities and risks of digitization for democracy. Previously, he has developed the “Social Cohesion Radar” for the Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2011. In numerous studies, he has examined societal changes in an international comparison, in Germany, and at the regional and local level. He frequently speaks in the media or at events on the topics of cohesion, trust, justice and solidarity, and, more recently, disinformation. He is one of the spokespersons for the “Alliance for Social Cohesion,” an alliance of several foundations whose work focuses in different ways on strengthening cohesion in Germany. In 2018, he was responsible for the Reinhard Mohn Prize on the topic of “Living diversity – shaping society” as project manager. From 2004 to 2011, he was a researcher at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence at Bielefeld University. Kai Unzicker studied sociology, psychology and philosophy at the Philipps University of Marburg from 1998 to 2004.
Further information, including publications and projects, can be found on the Bertelsmann Stiftung website: Profile of Dr. Kai Unzicker
Co-Lead
Georgia Langton
Junior Projektmanagerin
Georgia Langton works in the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Upgrade Democracy team as a junior project manager. Previously, she supported the Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) project organised by the Hertie School and the Hungarian and Netherlands Helsinki Committees for Human Rights as an assistant. In 2021, Georgia graduated from the Philipps University Marburg with a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies. Additionally, she is studying a Master of International Affairs at the Hertie School, specialising in Human Rights and Global Governance. In addition to the areas of migration and asylum policy, she is particularly interested in fighting disinformation.
Junior Projektmanagerin
Martin Hullin
Director
His main responsibilities include developing innovative approaches at national and international level, the public representation of the program and its projects, and contributing empirical evidence and case studies to relevant decision-making processes.
Previously, he was the co-founder and Deputy Executive Director of the Datasphere Initiative and the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network in Paris, France.
Before building thematic expert networks in the field of international digital and data policy, Hullin was responsible for formalizing a leading global renewable energy network and worked as a consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme and GIZ.
Director
Guest authors
Vincent Hofmann
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Vincent Hofmann ist seit Juni 2021 als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am HIIG tätig. Er arbeitet an dem Projekt „Ethik der Digitalisierung“.
Vincent Hofmann studierte Rechtswissenschaft an der Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main(gefördert durch das „Deutschlandstipendium“) mit dem Schwerpunkt Internationalisierung und Europäisierung des Rechts. Sein Forschungsinteresse liegt im Bereich der Plattformregulierung.
Neben dem Studium produzierte er den wöchentlichen Podcast „Wer will was von wem woraus“, in welchem er für Studierende Inhalte und Probleme des Jurastudiums behandelte.
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Matthias C. Kettemann
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Prof. Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann, LL.M. (Harvard) hat die Professur für Innovation, Theorie und Philosophie des Rechts am Institut für Theorie und Zukunft des Rechts der Universität Innsbruck inne. Am Humboldt-Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG) leitet er die Forschungsgruppe „Globaler Konstitutionalismus und das Internet“, das Forschungsprojekt „Völkerrecht des Netzes“ und „Plattform://Demokratie“.
Am Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung | Hans-Bredow-Institut leitet er das Forschungsprogramm “Regelungsstrukturen und Regelbildung in digitalen Kommunikationsräumen” . Sein Team beschäftigt sich mit den Regeln, unter denen in digitalen Kommunikationsräumen und besonders in sozialen Netzwerken neue Foren und Praktiken der gesellschaftlichen Verständigung und Selbstvergewisserung entstehen.
Nach Studien der Rechtswissenschaften in Graz, Genf und als Fulbright und Boas-Stipendiat an der Harvard School promoviert er mit einer Arbeit zur Rechtsstellung des Individuums im Völkerrecht. 2014 wurde er als Postdoktorand an das Exzellenzcluster „Die Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen“ der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt gerufen, wo er sich bei Prof. Kadelbach und Prof. Vesting am Institut für Öffentliches Recht der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main mit einer Arbeit zur normativen Ordnung des Internets habilitierte und die Lehrbefugnis für Völkerrecht, Internetrecht und Rechtstheorie erhielt. Nach Vertretungen in Heidelberg und Jena folgte er im Herbst 2021 dem Ruf nach Innsbruck.
Matthias C. Kettemann ist auch Co-Head of Section, „International Law and the Internet“ am Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht; und Mitglied des Vorstands und Forschungsgruppenleiter für „Platform and Content Governance“ am Sustainable Computing Lab, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. Er war mehrfach als Sachverständiger für digitales Recht im Bundestag und hat u.a. den Europarat, die UNESCO und die OSZE beraten.
Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft
Virginia Kirst
Freie Journalistin
Ich arbeite als freie Journalistin zwischen Rom und Hamburg. Meine Spezialität ist, die römische Politik zu entwirren und zu zeigen, welche Folgen sie haben wird – für Berlin, Bern, Brüssel und Wien. Als Auslandskorrespondentin schreibe ich Analysen, Berichte, Interviews und Reportagen für Zeitungen, Magazine und Webseiten. Außerdem berichte ich im Live-Fernsehen über aktuelle Ereignisse und werde als Italien-Kennerin ins Fernsehen, ins Radio und zu Podcasts eingeladen.
Freie Journalistin
Katharina Mosene
Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut
Katharina Mosene ist Politikwissenschaftlerin (M.A.) und kümmert sich am Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) seit Juli 2019 um den Bereich Forschungs- und Veranstaltungskooperationen, vor allem im Zusammenhang mit dem Humboldt-Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft und dem Network of Centers. Ihr wissenschaftliches Interesse gilt intersektionalen feministischen Ansätzen im Bereich Netzpolitik, Intelligente Technologien und Internet Governance. Neben dem Kontext Digitale Gewalt, Hatespeech und Anti-Feminismus beschäftigt sich sich mit tradierten Biases und ethischen Fragen im Bereich der Künstlichen Intelligenz.
Darüber hinaus ist sie am TUM Medical Education Center der TU München im Bereich Digitale Bildung / eLearning assoziiert.
Freiberuflich engagiert sie sich beim Deutschland sicher im Netz e.V. unter der Schirmherrschaft des Bundesministerium des Innern im Bereich Verbraucherschutz und führt Workshops für Ehrenamtliche und Vereine zu Internet-Sicherheitsthemen durch.
In ihrer Freizeit ist sie Gründungsmitglied von netzforma* e.V. – Verein für feministische Netzpolitik. Dort beschäftigt sie sich mit Themen wie dem Fördern eines gleichberechtigten Zugangs zum Internet und zu digitalen Inhalten, Schutz vor Gewalt im Netz und dem Recht auf Privatsphäre.
Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut
Felix Sieker
Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Felix Sieker arbeitet als Projekt Manager für das Projekt „reframe[Tech]“ im Programm „Digitalisierung und Gemeinwohl“ bei der Bertelsmann Stiftung. Dort beschäftigt er sich primär mit der Frage, wie die Chancen von algorithmischen Entscheidungssystemen für das Gemeinwohl stärker sichtbar gemacht werden können.
Zuvor arbeitete Felix Sieker an der Hertie School in einem Projekt zur Digitalisierung von Arbeit und war als Freelancer für Stiftungen und das Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales tätig. Als Sherpa war er zudem im High-Tech Forum, dem zentralen Beratungsgremium der Bundesregierung für die Implementierung der High-Tech Strategie 2025 beschäftigt.
In 2021 promovierte Felix mit einer Arbeit zur Rolle von Plattformunternehmen in der digitalen Transformation von Arbeit an der Hertie School. Zuvor hat er „Sociology, Politics and Economics“ an der Zeppelin Universität und „Comparative Social Policy” an der Universität Oxford studiert.
Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung