Fight against hate on the internet: Germany in the shadow of freedom of expression!

Fight against hate on the internet: Germany in the shadow of freedom of expression!

In a current international study on measures against hate on the internet by Prof. Dr. Richard Traunmüller and colleagues from the University of Mannheim examine the opinion on the regulation of hate speech in both Germany and the USA. The survey of over 2,500 people shows significant differences in the perception and acceptance of restrictions on freedom of expression. According to the research, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, higher levels of perceived hate content on social media platforms lead to greater support for regulatory action.

Participants in the study were exposed to eight different social media dialects, ranging from harmless to hateful. Over 70% of respondents in Germany and more than 60% in the USA support restrictions on freedom of expression, especially in the case of extreme insults or calls for violence. At the same time, however, there is a remarkable resistance to consequences in non-digital everyday life. Around a third of Germans and almost half of Americans reject far-reaching consequences for extreme hate speech.

Perceptions and tolerance

What is particularly striking is the high level of approval for platform measures: over 95% of those surveyed in Germany support such measures to combat extreme hate speech. However, there is a clear in-group bias in which people are more tolerant of hate speech from their own group than that of other groups. These results underline the lack of social consensus about problematic content and its regulation.

This discussion is further fueled by the current debate about legal measures against suspected hate postings in Germany. A CBS show “60 Minutes” discusses the use of investigators to prosecute hate speech on the Internet. J.D. Vance, the US Vice President, sharply criticizes German regulations on freedom of expression and warns of an erosion of transatlantic relations. The “criminalization of language” is seen as problematic.

Implications for the legal situation

The reporting and legal measures lead to an outcry in politics. FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki describes the searches in which cell phones and laptops are confiscated as “authoritarian excesses.” He argues that such actions could undermine trust in the Basic Law. Also receiving particular attention is the fact that Elon Musk's Company

With this in mind, there will be stricter regulations for online companies and social media operators under the Digital Services Act (DSA) from July 2023. Terwijl the new code of conduct is intended to make it easier to enforce these rules, there are tensions between the EU and tech companies, which often do not comply with the new regulations.

The developments in dealing with hate speech and the associated legal and political consequences raise complex questions about freedom of expression and the role of social media in today's discourse. However, the debate is far from settled and the social climate remains tense.