Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) has expressed reservations about radical measures aimed at curbing bureaucracy, noting that he rejects the style of approach demonstrated by Argentine President Javier Milei. Speaking to “Welt am Sonntag”, Wildberger commented, “I want to rebuild the bureaucracy before I can build something anew. And you don’t build anything with a chainsaw.”
Furthermore, he brought up the planned EUDI Wallet as a tool for age verification on social media. He confirmed that age control is technically feasible, though careful consideration must be given to determining the necessary age threshold and whether legal amendments are required. Wildberger insisted that the age verification process must not unnecessarily complicate the user experience. He clarified that if verification is handled via the Wallet, only the fact that the user is at least 18 years old will be transmitted, not their exact date of birth. Prioritizing technical solutions to protect children on social media over outright bans, Wildberger stated that “as long as these protective mechanisms are missing, the consequence might be that children are not allowed to use social media until a certain age.”
In other news, the minister welcomed the appointment of Boris Palmer, the Mayor of Tübingen, as an advisor for state modernization within Baden-Württemberg. Wildberger mentioned knowing Palmer from his previous career as a manager and spoke highly of his level of dedication. He concluded that many individuals are needed to drive reform. “We are in good exchange with Baden-Württemberg. If Mr. Palmer contributes to the state as powerfully as he does in Tübingen, we will collaborate very effectively.”
