Alwaght-Germany has started implementing tough laws to control social media while French President plans to legislate against fake news spread on social media platforms.
Germany’s hate speech rules, known locally as NetzDG and which came into full force Monday, demand that social media giants promptly remove potentially illegal material, some of it within 24 hours of being notified, or face fines of up to €50 million. Enforcement of the rules has reignited debate about their practicality in an age when a tweet, Facebook post or YouTube video can spread virally around the globe within minutes.
The law also highlights the problems that policymakers, in Berlin and elsewhere, now face when trying to police what can, and cannot, be posted online, as they try to balance people’s legitimate right to free speech with others’ desire to be protected against harmful material.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to legislate against fake news are running into opposition.
Twitter users have propelled “InventYourFakeNews” to a top trending topic, opposition lawmakers warn of a risk to civil liberties and experts say a law might not be the best tool.
Macron’s announcement Wednesday was the latest attempt by a government to find ways to handle the worldwide spread of disinformation on social media -- fake news.
His plan would allow judges to block a website or a user account, in particular during an election, and oblige internet platforms to publish the names of those behind sponsored contents. That raises more questions than answers, critics said.
In Britain, politicians have called on tech companies to take greater responsibility for potential hate speech and extremist material that is posted on their networks. These calls came after several platforms were found to have published content that ran afoul of existing national hate speech rules.
Ironically, these European countries gagging social media claim to be bastions of free speech and have been quick to condemn countries implementing controls on social media outlets.
