US report reveals: Germany is fighting freedom of expression and anti-Semitism!

US report reveals: Germany is fighting freedom of expression and anti-Semitism!

The latest report from the US State Department, published on August 12, 2025, finds that freedom of expression is increasingly restricted in Germany. The US government under President Donald Trump highlights particularly serious deficiencies in dealing with anti-Semitic attacks and the legal framework to combat hate speech. The comprehensive document addresses the worsening human rights conditions in Germany, which have noticeably worsened compared to the previous year, according to vienna.at.

The report addresses the censorship of content on online platforms, which is required by European regulations to combat hate speech. The German authorities seem to focus heavily on right-wing extremist movements, while the role of immigrant Muslims in this context is seen as trivialized. This coincides with an increasing number of anti-Semitic acts of violence, which the report identifies as a serious human rights issue.

Criticism of the fight against anti-Semitism

The criticism of German politics with regard to anti-Semitism is particularly clear. The study on which the report is based shows that young Muslim migrants aged 16 to 21 are disproportionately likely to hold anti-Semitic views, compared to Germans or migrants without a Muslim background. In addition, mass migration is seen as a key driver of this problem. According to zeit.de, the difficulties identified in determining the demographic causes of anti-Semitic acts lead to the authorities' insufficient ability to react.

Attention is also drawn to the changing perception of freedom of expression among the population. According to a survey, only 40% of Germans now feel able to express their political opinions openly, which is the lowest figure since 1953. This is reinforced by the feeling that a left-wing “censorship culture” (cancel culture) endangers freedom of expression. The resulting gap between legal status and the perceived freedom of expression creates a worrying climate, as Statista notes.

Influence of online communication

The discussion about freedom of expression is increasingly being shaped by internet communication. The increasing spread of hate comments and fake news is causing those affected to increasingly withdraw. The Freedom on the Net Index shows that although Germany is still considered one of the freest countries in the world, it has still lost points and has been reclassified from an open to a compromised society in the Civicus Monitor. The Digital Services Act (DSA), which comes into force in 2024, is intended to combat hate speech and fake news, but also poses the risk of excessive deletions, a phenomenon known as “overblocking”.

Overall, the report's findings contradict the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression in Germany and raise questions about the protection and promotion of these fundamental civil rights. The challenges in German society are clear, and the debate about freedom of expression remains central to democratic discourse.