New portal Lie: This is how Bavaria's Interior Ministry is fighting fake news!

New portal Lie: This is how Bavaria's Interior Ministry is fighting fake news!

On November 7, 2025, the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior launched a new information portal entitled “Lie!? Don't let yourself be manipulated". This portal aims to educate citizens about the dangers of disinformation and conspiracy theories and to increase their sensitivity to these topics. During the presentation, Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann emphasized the need to promote critical thinking in order not to be influenced by false information. The portal sees itself as a central information exchange that provides reliable information on these challenges and also links to external information offers and partners. The reaction to the changed security policy situation shows the urgency of this issue, especially in view of the Dangers that disinformation and hate speech pose to trust in state institutions.

Disinformation not only endangers the social climate, but also democracy itself. Herrmann pointed out that foreign states specifically use disinformation to pursue political agendas in Germany. The aim of the portal is not only to provide information, but also to understand the psychological mechanisms behind the formation of beliefs and the spread of fake news. The platform is scientifically supported by a team from the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Alicia von Schenk, who focuses on cognitive distortions.

Contents and functions of the portal

The information portal offers users a variety of tools to identify and deal with disinformation. This includes tips for identifying false information, strategies for dealing with such content, clear examples, and definitions and explanations of the underlying psychological effects. It is particularly important to educate people about the different nature of fake news, misinformation and disinformation, as well as the challenges they bring with them. These terms are often confused, but it is crucial to distinguish that disinformation refers to targeted influence campaigns, while misinformation describes misleading information with the intent to deceive.

The issue of fake news has come into greater focus since the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the Brexit referendum. Studies show that low trust in politics and the media increases susceptibility to disinformation. Although less than 1% of content visible online is categorized as fake news, its prevalence on social media is alarming. Politically active citizens in particular tend to seek information that supports their own views and all too often ignore the sources of the information.

Social responsibility and media literacy

Combating fake news requires action across society, as well as promoting media literacy. Awareness-raising approaches can be described as “vaccinations” against the spread of fake news and include not only fact-checking but also early interventions to actively inform citizens. It is crucial that the population learns to critically question the quality and seriousness of media content.

The new information portal therefore represents an important step towards a better understanding and handling of disinformation. It is a response to these dangerous developments in our information age and aims to strengthen society's resilience against manipulative content and to maintain trust in democratic institutions.

For more information, visit the information portal at aichach.de, more about the Interior Ministry's initiatives at stmi.bayern.de, as well as research on media literacy bpb.de experience.