110 organizations are calling for: “Hands off the IFG! Save freedom of information”

Open Letter to the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and the Members of the Bundestag on the Committee on the Interior:

Dear Members of the Federal Government, 
dear Federal Minister of the Interior, 
dear Members of the Bundestag's Committee on Internal Affairs,

the changes to the Freedom of Information Act (IFG) proposed by the Coalition Committee represent a massive step backward for civil liberties and deeply alarm us. 

At a time of growing distrust of politics and government institutions, the governing coalition intends to effectively abolish one of the Federal Republic’s most important transparency tools. For 20 years, the IFG has made it possible to consistently expose corruption and abuse of power. If you were to implement the planned changes, it would not only spell the end for the majority of IFG requests, but also represent a devastating blow to press freedom in Germany.

In the 2025 coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and the SPD had agreed to reform the IFG “in a way that adds value for citizens and the administration.” The current resolution turns this promise on its head: Not a single one of the announced measures promises added value for the public; each one represents a massive step backward for freedom of information. As a broad coalition of 110 civil society organizations, associations, projects, federations, and media outlets, we urge you to: Stop these plans! Protect the IFG and freedom of information as they currently stand!

The resolution passed by the CDU/CSU and the SPD stipulates that, in the future, only IFG requests with a proven “legitimate interest” will be permitted, and that civil society organizations, members of the press, and people without German or EU citizenship will be excluded. Government agencies would be able to reject requests even more easily by invoking additional exemptions, and the names of all government employees—including those in leadership positions—would be systematically redacted. In the future, nearly all requests would no longer be admissible, and the remaining ones could result in massive costs for the applicants or lead to important information being withheld. The result: the end of freedom of information.

Under the pretext of “reducing bureaucracy,” “state resilience,” and the protection of critical infrastructure, the Freedom of Information Act is being undermined. Yet the reality is that existing regulations already allow government agencies to protect sensitive security information. The federal government’s arguments, embedded in growth measures, therefore seem more like a smokescreen to get rid of a law that has become inconvenient for the administration and politicians.

The figures show that the coalition parties are acting against the will of the citizens: 

• According to a recent study commissioned by the federal government, a large portion of the population (83%) would like to see more proactive transparency and freedom of information from government agencies.
• During the 2025 coalition negotiations, hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition opposing the attack on the IFG and were able to fend it off.

If the government’s plans are implemented as proposed, millions of citizens, as well as journalists and organizations, would be denied the right to freedom of information. This will harm fact-based reporting, public oversight, civic engagement, and trust in politics. Democracy needs a strong Freedom of Information Act!

As a broad coalition of 110 civil society organizations, associations, projects, federations, and media outlets, we therefore call on you to stop the plans to restrict the Freedom of Information Act and protect transparency for everyone!

abgeordnetenwatch
Aktionsbündnis Nichtrauchen e.V. (ABNR)
AlgorithmWatch
Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club, Landesverband Berlin – ADFC Berlin eV.
Allianz “Rechtssicherheit für politische Willensbildung”
Amnesty International
anna elbe - Weitblick für Hamburg
Ärztlicher Arbeitskreis Rauchen und Gesundheit e.V.
attac Deutschland
betterplace lab gGmbH
BLUE 21 e.V.
BUND - Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V.
BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V. (BN)
Bundesweiter Koordinierungskreis gegen Menschenhandel - KOK e.V.
BUNDjugend Bayern
Bürger*innenInitiative A100 (BI A100)
Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende e.V.
Campact e.V
Cannabis Verband Deutschland
Center for Democracy and Information Integrity
chaos computer club e.V
Cinematographinnen
Climate+Tech Think-tank für Klima und Resilienz
codetekt e.V. - mit Nachrichtenkompetenz gegen Desinformation!
Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren
D64 – Zentrum für Digitalen Fortschritt
Democracy International e.V.
Der Freitag
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Informationsfreiheit e.V.
Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union (dju) in ver.di
Deutsche Umwelthilfe
Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V.
Deutscher Journalisten-Verband e. V.
Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)
Deutsches Netz Rauchfreier Krankenhäuser & Gesundheitseinrichtungen e.V.
die tageszeitung (taz)
Digitalcourage e.V.
Digitale Gesellschaft e.V.
ECCHR (European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights)
Europäisches Zentrum für Presse und Medienfreiheit (ECPMF)
FEMNET
FIAN Deutschland e.V.
Filmzirkel Hannover
foodwatch
Forum Fairer Handel
Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (FIfF)
Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft e.V.
Forum Umwelt & Entwicklung
FragDenStaat
Frauen Aktiv Contra Tabak e.V.
Fridays for Future Deutschland
futur eins e.V.
Gesellschaft für Klima und Demokratie e.V.
Global Policy Forum Europe
Green Legal Impact Germany e.V.
Greenpeace e.V.
GRÜNE LIGA e.V.
Humanistische Union e.V.
Initiative Offene Gesellschaft e.V.
INKOTA Netzwerk e.V.
innn.it e.V.
Innovationsverbund Öffentliche Gesundheit e.V.
Institut für Therapie- und Gesundheitsforschung, IFT-Nord gGmbH
Interface Tech analysis and policy ideas for Europe e.V.
Internationale Vereinigung Intergeschlechtlicher Menschen - Organisation
Intersex International Germany e.V.
Jugendpresse Deutschland e.V.
kleindatenverein
KURVE Wustrow e.V.
Landesnetzwerk Bürgerengagement Berlin e.V.
Lausitzer Perspektiven e.V.
LOAD e.V. - Verein für liberale Netzpolitik
LobbyControl
Mehr Demokratie e.V.
NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland) e.V.
NACOA Deutschland Interessenvertretung für Kinder aus Suchtfamilien e.V.
Netzwerk Klimajournalismus Deutschland e.V.
Netzwerk Recherche e.V.
Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen e. V.
Nichtraucherschutzverband Deutschland e.V. (NRSV)
openPetition
Paper Trail Media
Politics for Tomorrow / nextlearning e. V.
PowerShift
PRO ASYL Bundesweite Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Flüchtlinge e.V.
Pro Rauchfrei e.V.
ProjectTogether gGmbH
QueerScope | Verband der unabhängigen queeren Filmfestivals in Deutschland
e.V.
Reporter ohne Grenzen
Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein (RAV e.V.)
Rettet den Regenwald e.V.
Romero Initiative e.V.
Schrödinger & Katze e. V.
Sea-Eye e.V.
Sea-Watch e.V.
SÜDWIND e.V.
SUPERRR Lab gGmbH
teilensWert e.V.
Transparency International Deutschland e.V.
Umweltinstitut München e.V.
urgewald
Verband der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher e.V.
Verband der Requisite & Set Decoration e.V.
Verein für Natur und Landschaft in Brandenburg e.v.
Verfassungsblog gGmbH
Weltladen Hailer
Werkstatt Ökonomie e.V.
Wikimedia Deutschland
Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) Deutschland e.V.
zerforschung