BERLIN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke out in favor of a more reasonable and "civilized" debate culture on the internet on the first day of the re:publica conference on the internet and digital society here on Monday, German media reported.
In his opening speech, the German president wondered why the political debates he had experienced on the internet "so often tend to become toxic."
The most urgent task, according to Steinmeier, was not the "digitization of democracy, but the democratization of the digital."
If the future of Germany's democracy "is close to our hearts," said the German president, "then we need to look together at the political debate culture on the net."
Steinmeier emphasized that "it is time for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Co. to finally assume their responsibility for democracy and put it into practice."
Another guest speaker at the re:publica conference, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, was expected to talk about "what possibilities there are to limit digital monopolies," said re:publica co-organizer Markus Beckedahl.
For three days, attendees of the 13th re:publica conference in Berlin will discuss aspects of the digital society, including artificial intelligence, platform regulation, copyright reform and the future of work, according to the event's website.
