Berlin: Top officials in Germany’s ruling coalition said they planned legislation to crack down on “hate speech” and fake news on Facebook and other social media platforms, and impose stiff penalties if such messages were not quickly removed.
Politicians are worried about how hate speech and fake news could sway public opinion ahead of elections next year in which Merkel will be running for a fourth term and facing an increasingly popular far right.
“There has only been talk for too long. Now we in the coalition will take action at beginning of next year,” Volker Kauder, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), said in a statement.
Facebook Inc FB.O said it would take measures to prevent fake news spreading on its platform. Users would find it easier to flag fake articles as a hoax, and organisations would be deployed to check facts.
The statement suggested the ruling coalition was not altogether convinced by steps announced by Facebook.
Kauder said the legislation would require social media companies to set up offices that would respond to complaints from people affected by hateful messages within 24 hours.
“We plan to impose high penalties that would affect companies like Facebook if they do not meet their responsibilities,” Kauder said.
