BERLIN, Apr 5: The German cabinet approved a plan today to fine social networks such as Facebook up to 50 million euros (53 million dollars) if they do not remove hateful postings quickly and to make them reveal the identity of those behind the posts.
“There should be just as little tolerance for criminal rabble rousing on social networks as on the street,” Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement, adding that he would seek to push for similar rules at a European level.
Germany already has some of the world’s toughest hate speech laws covering defamation, public incitement to commit crimes and threats of violence, backed up by prison sentences for Holocaust denial or inciting hatred against minorities.
(Reuters)
