“Social-network providers are responsible when their platforms are misused to propagate hate crimes and fake news,” Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an emailed statement. The goal is to make social networks enforce existing German laws on illegal content “quickly and in full,” he said.
Merkel’s governing coalition, which includes the country’s two biggest parties, is increasing pressure on social networks to curb the spread of fake news and malicious posts ahead of Germany’s election on Sept. 24. Facebook has about 29 million users in Germany, and has previously said it will work with independent fact-checkers in the country to identify fake news and tag such stories with a warning.
Before the bill’s approval by the cabinet, the government dropped a requirement that would have obliged social networks to stop the renewed upload of content previously identified as illegal. Merkel’s coalition wants to adopt the law before the election, Maas said.
/The Bloomberg/
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