Facebook says a hate speech bill making its way through Germany’s government isn’t “suitable” to combat hate speech. The bill , which was proposed by the Ministry of Justice, would fine social networks up to €50 million if they don’t quickly get rid of infringing content.
This proposal comes after Facebook, Twitter, and Google failed to consistently remove content faster on their own. All three told Germany they’d respond to hate speech reports within 24 hours, but it doesn’t appear they’ve always been successful.
Facebook says this latest proposal could be problematic as it’ll encourage social media companies to quickly remove content that may not even be hate speech.
The draft law provides an incentive to delete content that is not clearly illegal when social networks face such a disproportionate threat of fines. It would have the effect of transferring responsibility for complex legal decisions from public authorities to private companies. – Facebook
According to its statement, there are “several legal experts” who believe the bill would violate German and EU law. Facebook says it’s willing to work with German officials on an alternative solution.
