Civil rights activists and opposition politicians have slammed a recently approved amendment to Germany’s law regulating online communications, saying it encroaches on freedom of expression and fragments the European legal space. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Tabled by the German government and approved by parliament on Thursday (6 May), the amendment to the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) claims to strengthen user rights and crack down on online hate speech.
The government says the amendment improves the 2017 law by expanding transparency obligations for social media companies and other online actors, improved user friendliness and regulated researchers’ access to social media data.
“Anyone who is threatened or insulted online must be able to report it simply and without complications,” said German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht.