Meet the residents: Codetekt
In each issue, we talk with a Publix resident organization about their work and what's going on. This time: Daniel Weimert, Co-Executive Director of codetekt.
What does your organization do?
We fight disinformation and strengthen news literacy in Germany, and we do this in two ways: We are active in civic education, offering workshops for young people in schools, for adults in companies, and for multipliers who pass the knowledge on. And we are the first nationwide community against disinformation in Germany, where people can get involved and participate.
What sets you apart from others in this field?
Our "Trust Checking" approach. It's not about searching for truth — that term is often charged in debates and paints a black-and-white picture. Without subject-matter expertise, it's hard for anyone to judge whether something is true or false. We focus on the concept of "trust": in the moment people encounter a piece of information, they should be able to assess its trustworthiness themselves, based on established quality criteria — independently of fact-checking organizations, whose verdicts often come too late and no longer reach the person affected.
What are you currently working on?
We are expanding our Trust Checking Platform, where our volunteers come together to collectively verify information — a bit in the "crowdsourcing Wikipedia style." In the summer ahead of the state elections, this is especially relevant, as misinformation is spreading rapidly right now. For this, we've launched a campaign: "Flood the Zone with Trust." Together with volunteers, we are ramping up our review of news and raising awareness about manipulation techniques.
What has been your biggest success in recent months?
We received funding for the research project "ClaimGuard," in which we collaborate with universities to explore how people can collaboratively assess the trustworthiness of information with the help of AI, and share those assessments. This is called "Human-AI Collaboration." We are proud of this funding and excited to see what emerges by 2029.
What is giving you headaches right now?
The fact that the term "disinformation" is increasingly being framed — as has already happened in the US — as a left-wing buzzword, one that NGOs allegedly use to "devalue and censor conservative voices." In reality, of course, we are not about censorship, but about empowering people to adopt a democratically critical stance toward information and to better identify manipulation techniques.
How can people support you and your work?
In many different ways! Become part of our community. Whether as a "co:detective" on our Trust Checking Platform, as an "Argument Scout" who collects arguments on topics that others can then use, or as a "Team Member" who talks with young people at schools — we welcome every volunteer contribution. But of course: we are a non-profit organization and always appreciate donations. If you'd like, you can also buy our merch: T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs with attitude.
What should everyone be reading right now?
"Trust — The Seven Rules of Trust" by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia. How do we rebuild trust? How do we overcome polarization? These are our questions too.
