In a recent decision of December 19, 2021, case no. 1 BvR 1073/20 (published with an official press release dated February 2, 2022), the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht – BVerfG) set aside several judgments of the Berlin civil courts. The Berlin civil courts had denied the plaintiff, who alleges she was exposed to hate speech on a social network, the right to demand from the operator of the social network access to customer data, i.e., the full names of the users who had posted the content that the plaintiff considered to be hate speech. In the view of the BVerfG, the Berlin courts had failed to properly balance the parties’ interests and thereby had violated the plaintiff’s fundamental rights.
Continue Reading Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court provides guidance for assessing claims against hate speech on social media

On April 1, 2020, Germany’s federal government published a new draft bill to amend the German Hate Speech Act (Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz – “NetzDG”; see also our earlier blog of October 2, 2017). The draft bill (“Bill”) is available in German here.

The Bill will introduce a number of improvements for users of social networks. It will also supplement the amendments to the NetzDG proposed already on February 19, 2020 in the Draft Bill to Combat Right-wing Extremism and Hate Crime (Gesetzentwurf zur Bekämpfung des Rechtsextremismus und der Hasskriminalität; more information is available in German here). In particular, platform providers will need to arrange for more user-friendly notification procedures, and also establish and maintain procedures that enable users to object to the deletion of comments they have made and have their comments reposted on the platform.Continue Reading German government introduces new bill to amend Germany’s Hate Speech Act, establishing new requirements for social networks and video-sharing platforms

On 24 August 2018, the Munich Court of Appeal (“Court”) issued a preliminary injunction against Facebook that prohibits Facebook from deleting a certain user’s post (docket no. 18 W 1294/18).

Facts of the case

The claimant is a Facebook user who had taken part in a discussion on the Facebook page of a renowned German news journal on Austria’s announcement of border controls. In the course of a controversial discussion, in particular with another Facebook user, the claimant posted a quotation of the German poet Wilhelm Busch, combined with a provocative statement against another Facebook user:

Original German wording English convenience translation:
… Gar sehr verzwickt ist diese Welt, mich wundert’s daß sie wem gefällt. Wilhelm Busch (18321908)

Wusste bereits Wilhelm Busch 1832 zu sagen:-D Ich kann mich argumentativ leider nicht mehr mit Ihnen messen, Sie sind unbewaffnet und das wäre nicht besonders fair von mir.

… This world is very tricky, I wonder who likes it. Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908)

Wilhelm Busch already knew in 1832 to say :-D Unfortunately, I can no longer compete with you argumentatively, you are unarmed and that wouldn’t be particularly fair of me.

Facebook deleted the claimant’s post.
Continue Reading Munich Court of Appeal prohibits Facebook from deleting a post that does not fall under the German Hate Speech Act

On 1 October 2017, the German Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (Network Enforcement Act, „NetzDG“) that we already reported on in April and May, entered into force (English version here). The NetzDG shall be an “act to improve enforcement of the law in social networks”, and aims at combating fake news and hate speech. Regulatory offences may be fined by up to EUR 5 million for individuals and up to EUR 50 million for the platform provider itself.

The NetzDG has been criticised since the beginning of the legislative process, as a great number of lawyers deem the law incompatible with the principle of freedom of expression and the upcoming EU E-Privacy Directive that will be effective 25 May 2018. Therefore, everyone is waiting in suspense for the first complaints brought up against this law to the German Federal Constitutional Court, or even the European Court of Justice.

We compiled the five key aspects of the NetzDG for social networks to make you NetzDG-ready.
Continue Reading Germany’s new hate speech act in force: what social network providers need to do now