On February 7, 2024, the Federal Government (Bundesregierung) announced that it had adopted a strategy for international digital policy. In particular, the Bundesregierung stated that with the strategy, the Federal Government is creating the basis for helping shape norms and standards of international digital policy. Further, the Bundesregierung also noted that each department will implement the strategy in its respective area of ​​responsibility.

More specifically, the Bundesregierung stated, among others, the following guiding principles of the strategy:

• protect fundamental and human rights, both online and offline, for example, by advocating for the rights to privacy and data protection;
• advocate for a global, open, free, and secure internet;
• intensify value-based technology partnerships;
• promote human-centered and innovation-friendly rules for the digital space, for example, by supporting the development of norms, principles, and standards, particularly for new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI);
• support trustworthy and secure international data flows, for example, by rejecting digital protectionism, particularly through unjustified and arbitrary restrictions on data flows;
• actively shape international norms and standards;
• strengthen a secure and sustainable global digital infrastructure; and
• reduce risks in technology value chains.

You can read the press release here and the strategy here, both only available in German.