Germany Approves Plans To Fine Social Media Firms Up To $57M (theguardian.com) 57
Social media companies face fines of up to 50m Euro ($57m) if they persistently fail to remove illegal content from their sites under a new law passed in Germany. From a report: The German parliament on Friday approved the bill aimed at cracking down on hate speech, criminal material and fake news on social networks -- but critics warn it could have drastic consequences for free speech online. Germany has some of the world's toughest laws covering defamation, public incitement to commit crimes and threats of violence, with prison sentences for Holocaust denial or inciting hatred against minorities. The measure requires social media platforms to remove obviously illegal hate speech and other postings within 24 hours after receiving a notification or complaint, and to block other offensive content within seven days. The German justice minister, Heiko Maas, who was the driving force behind the bill, said: "Freedom of speech ends where the criminal law begins."
-isms (Score:2)
Re:-isms (Score:5, Interesting)
whatever -ism, Germany is having another bout of authoritarianism
It never went away. The Germans have always prioritized conformity over liberty. But they pay a price for that. There is a bit of a startup-culture in Berlin, but Germany has produced few tech companies. The biggest is SAP, which actually has a rather authoritarian culture. If you were planning to start a tech company today, would you do it in Germany? $57 million says that you wouldn't.
Disclaimer: I live in Silicon Valley, and there are several German expats in my neighborhood. They are doing startups, but the aren't doing them in Germany.
Re: -isms (Score:2)
>SiliconValley
Eh, no longer in Shanghai?
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Eh, no longer in Shanghai?
I lived in Shanghai for several years, but I now live in San Jose. My company has an office in Shanghai, and I work there for several months each year. I will be going to Shanghai in a few weeks, and I will be there until October.
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right now they have good unions
good apprenticeship system not you must go to college
and good Healthcare system.
We should let them take over the usa.
And it's time to end speed limits in rural areas on the roads that are built for high speed.
"illgeal content" = "incorrect speech" (Score:3)
You *will* make people speak correctly or you *will* be fined! Germany Über Alles!
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Russian trolls worked for Trump - he won. Not everybody likes Putin to interfere with their elections. Especially not in Europe.
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Enforce censorship or Putin wins? Bloody hell, I hope that's not mainstream thought anywhere.
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Since you don't seem to be able to speak German, you'll be fine.
I get that logic (Score:3)
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what the fuck is a chalk marker?
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Yes you do. Seriously. (Score:1)
If someone takes a chalk marker and draws something anti-Semitic on a window, and the owner of the window refuse to clean it up you indeed go after the window owner (not manufacturer incidentally, as facebook and social media are the owner, not manufacturer). See if you are getting reported that somebody put anti semite message on your window, then in germany you HAVE to remove it. Now you may culturally have grown in a place where one think *any* speech must be allowed (or nearly), that is fine and dandy,
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Traditionally they would burn whole house marked in that manner, so you can consider the new approach a big improvement!
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In Tolerance Camp, intolerance will not be tolerated!
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That's correct citizen. Now step back in line and praise the great leader.
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Making social media companies leaving the country? yes it is.
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This is the most dangerous and stupid thing ever posted on this site. But even you, dear AC, who would so easily surrender your liberties, are allowed to spew your nonsense here, or anywhere.
I'm hoping (Score:2)
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"Hate speech" -- whatever the majority can turn around and define. Nothing more. That's why hate speech laws need to burn in fire.
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The powers in place after 1945 in West Germany and now Germany can direct powerful laws created to stop communism or fascism from ever entering German politics.
Comment on a ruling party and its policy, the results of policy or suggest changes to policy?
A rise in local crime? What people are doing in the German community?
Get reported by social media SJW staff, or
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Germany was a democracy before 1945 too. The party in power was elected through the democratic process, and the party in power decided what had to be banned. The party democratically elected by the german people was removed from power in 1945 by a foreign invader.
Banning communism and fascism is actually un democratic. The idea of democracy is that the people can vote for the government they want, what if the majority of people actually want a fascist or communist government?
The biggest flaw of democracy is
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The party in power was elected through the democratic process, and the party in power decided what had to be banned. The party democratically elected by the german people was removed from power in 1945 by a foreign invader.
BS. The Nazi's did not have a majority in the parliament. Hindenburg made Hitler chancellor, thinking he could be controlled. Instead the Nazis dismantled the parliament. And made sure it never reopened after the convenient Reichstag fire.
Many Germans gave the Nazis their vote as a protes
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Well that's the problem, it's a slippery slope..
It started being defined as nazi propaganda, then gradually creeps.. What starts of benign attracts a few complaints and suddenly its hate speech and your going to jail... You end up having to be extremely paranoid about what you say for fear of being jailed!
And what exactly defines "hate" ? I frequently banter with friends where we call each other fat, bald (its true, we're getting old) or use various racial slurs. I don't take offense to it and neither do th
Only make the content inaccessible in Germany (Score:1)
Social media firms should not have to altogether delete hate speech, only make it inaccessible to IP addresses in Germany. The content should still be visible elsewhere unless the social media firm wants to delete it. Germany does not have the right to force it's draconian anti-free speech laws on the rest of the world. Laws that limit the ability to express ideas can and will be abused to censor ideas that are potentially threatening to the government. If Germany wants to leave the free world and become a
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Or attempts to add to banned comments with an ip and a provider outside Germany using the German language?
Best to ban any attempts at free speech globally once reported so the world is safe for Germans using the internet in other parts of the world.
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or maybe western countries should get over their infantile fear of speech. Ever since the fall of the USSR, it's been a race among western powers to recreate its worst aspects.
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It sorta reads like a battleplan for implementing 1984?
Don't worry, it will be fine. (Score:3)
Look, all you have to do is use a social media platform that isn't a corporation with a presence in Germany. Self-hosting on a decentralized social [wikipedia.org] media network [wikipedia.org] is the best way to go and avoids those nasty ads and deceptive information gather/selling altogether. Sure, you're hateful rants about group XYZ wont reach as many people but you get what you pay for and you haven't paid jack shit.
Unprofitable, leave (Score:1)
The big players should pull out of Germany and put up a notice to German readers telling the gov't to Fuck Off.
Pity (Score:2)
Disappointed. I was hoping they'd fine social media companies just for being social media companies.