Germany probes Facebook over refusal to delete hate speechNovember 5, 2016 - 15:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Given its past, Germany has some very strict laws against hate speech—and Facebook has run afoul of them, says a petition in Munich. According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, the Munich prosecutor's office has begun a preliminary investigation into a criminal complaint against Facebook executives Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, and lobbyists Richard Allan and Eva-Maria Kirschsieper, Fast Company reports. Facebook has been under pressure from German authorities for more than a year for not promptly removing hate speech and calls to violence. The company isn't expected to police every post, but it is required under German law to remove any offending material that is reported to it. The complaint says it has done a poor job of this, tolerating incitements to murder, threats of violence, and Holocaust denial. Unlike the U.S., which has broad protections for free speech, certain sentiments are strictly verboten in Germany. The law prohibits Volksverhetzung—incitement of the people—toward violence or even an assault on the "human dignity" of any national, racial, ethnic, or religious group. Glorifying the Nazis is also illegal, punishable by up to five years in prison. It's not clear how far the Munich action can go, however. A complaint in Hamburg against Zuckerberg, Sandberg, and other execs came to nothing earlier this year because it was found that they are outside the authority of German law. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |