Germany is set to introduce new measures to toughen online speech laws and tighten the screws on social networks as far-right extremist groups and torrents of threats against politicians grow in the country.
Ministers in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government were expected to wave through a new package of measures, days after 12 men were arrested for planning deadly attacks on mosques, communicating in part via chat groups.
“In future, those who make threats or spread hate online will be prosecuted more toughly and more effectively,” Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said on her ministry’s website.
One headline measure in the draft law will step up the pressure on social networking firms like Facebook and Twitter to quickly remove the offending content.
In future, the Silicon Valley giants will also have to report certain types of illegal posts to the federal police, who will be able to pass on actionable data to prosecutors.
Social media platforms that refuse to cooperate will face fines of up to 50 million euros.
“Hate crimes will finally end up where they belong: before a court,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said.
Especially in recent months, the spread of antisemitic messages online — including a bizarre screed written by the perpetrator of an attack targeting a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle in Octboer 2019 — has also grown.
The draft law would sharpen sentences still further for crimes arising from an antisemitic motive, which the justice ministry says have increased 40% since 2013.
“Extremists don’t radicalise themselves out of nowhere,” Justice Minister Lambrecht said.
