Court Upholds Ban on AfD Campaign Ad Over Youth Protection Concerns

A Potsdam court ruled that the AI-generated ad violated youth media protection laws by promoting harmful racial stereotypes.

The Administrative Court in Potsdam rejected an emergency motion from the AfD to overturn a media authority's order to restrict access to its campaign video.
The video, created for Brandenburg's 2024 state election, was deemed to contain content harmful to the development of children and teenagers under 16.
The Landesmedienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg found the ad used racial stereotypes, portraying people with darker skin as threatening and contrasting them with lighter-skinned individuals.
The court ruled that protecting youth and addressing discriminatory content outweighed considerations of free speech and political party rights.
The AfD has the option to appeal the decision to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.