German Hate Speech Law Backfires After Twitter Immediately Blocks Satire Account

German Hate Speech Law Backfires After Twitter Immediately Blocks Satire Account:

A German satirical magazine’s Twitter account was blocked after it parodied anti-Muslim comments in what the national journalists’ association said showed the downside of a new law against online hate speech.

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Germany starts enforcing hate speech law

Germany starts enforcing hate speech law:

Germany is set to start enforcing a law that demands social media sites move quickly to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material.

Sites that do not remove “obviously illegal” posts could face fines of up to 50m euro (£44.3m).

The law gives the networks 24 hours to act after they have been told about law-breaking material.

Social networks and media sites with more than two million members will fall under the law’s provisions.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will be the law’s main focus but it is also likely to be applied to Reddit, Tumblr and Russian social network VK. Other sites such as Vimeo and Flickr could also be caught up in its provisions.

Read moreGermany starts enforcing hate speech law

Gilad Atzmon: Hate PLC: A Multimillion Pound Industry

Hate PLC: A Multimillion Pound Industry:

By Gilad Atzmon

In March 2016, the British government pledged 13.4 million pounds to the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish body that is committed to fighting hatred against one group only. 

One would expect that with all that money, the CST would do its job and curb anti-Semitism. But the miracle is that the opposite has occurred. Just two weeks later, according to the CST’s statistics, anti-Semitism went through the roof. The Daily Mail reports today that 767 anti Semitic hate crimes were logged by the CST in the first six months of 2017, a 30 per cent rise over 2016. It is the highest figure since statistics were first kept 33 years ago. The CST reports an “unprecedented run of over 100 incidents each month back to April 2016.”

Read moreGilad Atzmon: Hate PLC: A Multimillion Pound Industry

Firearms Freedom Advocate Sentenced to Jail for Claiming Islam ‘At War’ with the West

Firearms Freedom Advocate Sentenced to Jail for Claiming Islam ‘At War’ with the West:

Austrian firearm legislation liberalisation campaigner Dr. Georg Zakrajsek has been sentenced to five months in prison for claiming that Islam had declared war on the Western world.

The Vienna court ruled Mr. Zakrajsek, secretary general of the pro-gun Society for Liberal Gun Laws in Austria (IWÖ), was guilty of incitement and hate speech.

In December 2015, he posted to his website that “the Muslims have declared war on us all”, and added “our traitorous politicians determined to be on their side. They promote and facilitate terrorism. But we will fight,” Kurier reports.

Read moreFirearms Freedom Advocate Sentenced to Jail for Claiming Islam ‘At War’ with the West

Google, Facebook, Twitter will delete online hate speech at pressure from Germany

Google, Facebook, Twitter will delete online hate speech at pressure from Germany:

Google, Facebook, and Twitter have agreed to delete hate speech deemed illegal in Germany within 24 hours, following pressure from German authorities who have become concerned about an increasing number of racist comments being posted on social media.

The companies committed on Tuesday to removing “illegal content promptly, that is, within 24 hours,” Justice Minister Heiko Maas said, as quoted by AFP.

“Complaints will be examined by specialist teams. And the benchmark to be applied will be German law and no longer just the terms of use of each network,” Maas added.

Read moreGoogle, Facebook, Twitter will delete online hate speech at pressure from Germany