In an interview with the online magazine LEIBNIZ, Dr. Christian Ollig talks about his research, his experiences as a young scientist, and his motivations.
In the “30 around 30” section, the magazine asks young scientists about their attitudes toward life, their challenges, and their visions on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Leibniz Association.
Excerpt from the Interview
LEIBNIZ: Mr. Ollig, how would you explain your research topic to someone at a party?
CHRISTIAN OLLIG: When you post something on social media, it’s not just the platform’s terms and conditions that apply anymore; it’s more like a “platform constitution.” Your fundamental rights in the digital space are now protected by the European Union.
LEIBNIZ: And what would you say to a colleague?
CHRISTIAN OLLIG: In the digital economy, the European Union has ensured that fundamental rights relationships are horizontalized through secondary legislation — i.e., without amending the Charter itself — meaning platform companies are now bound by fundamental rights standards in their dealings with users.
LEIBNIZ: What has been the best (or most important) moment in your life as a researcher so far?
CHRISTIAN OLLIG: The acceptance of my application to the Leibniz Institute for Media Research (and all the expectations that were subsequently exceeded at this wonderful place).
LEIBNIZ: How could your research improve the world in 30 years? (You can dream.)
CHRISTIAN OLLIG: The digital economy, civil society, and government actors have jointly developed standards that reconcile entrepreneurial freedoms in the tech market with the guarantee of a fundamental rights-friendly communication environment.
LEIBNIZ: In which era would you have liked to be a scientist? Or is today the best time?
CHRISTIAN OLLIG: Today is the best time — only tomorrow might be even better.
Read the full interview here. The interview is only available in German.
About Christian Ollig
Christian Ollig has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the HBI since February 2025. Previously, he was a research assistant at the Chair of Media Law and Public Law at the Faculty of Law at Universität Hamburg. There, he supported Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz in research and teaching, as well as coordinating the work between the university and the Leibniz Institute for Media Research. In July, he received first prize in the humanities and cultural sciences section of the Körber Foundation’s German Study Prize for his dissertation on media law. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz, his dissertation used the EU’s Digital Services Act to examine how people can enforce fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression, on online platforms.