Germany’s Flawed Plan to Fight Hate Speech by Fining Tech Giants Millions

Heiko Mass, Germany’s minister of justice and consumer protection, said this week that he will propose a law that would fine social media companies up to €50 million ($53 million) for not responding quickly enough to reports of illegal content or hate speech.

“Google, Facebook, and Twitter are US companies,” says Stefan Heumann, co-director of Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, a Berlin-based think tank focused on technology and public policy. “The rules they set regarding speech reflect US constitutional and cultural values—freedom of speech is treated as nearly an absolute right.”