Soldato
This was proposed in Germany a while ago but has now become law:
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/facebook-twitter-hate-speech-germany-fine
Germany already has a number of "Hate Speech" laws. What this bill does is not add to that, but give it more teeth. It allows for enormous fines for companies like Facebook and Google for not removing Hate Speech. It also adds provisions to help them comply as well - allowing outsourcing of content policing to third parties for example. In essence, the bill is saying: "here is a nice cleared path for you to go down and here is the boot coming to kick you if you don't go down it." Or alternately you could look at it as removing potential excuses for non-compliance in advance.
The good or bad of that of course depending on whether you think criminalising "Hate Speech" is a good thing or not. Rather plainly, I do not. These laws don't only apply to Facebook or Google (though that's a major issue by itself). They apply to any online forum. There are things I have said on these forums - supportable facts - that would see me fined or arrested. For example, I am strongly against Halal meat and have argued why on these forums. One critic of halal practices in France has been fined €30,000 for the same opinions I have posted here. We had a discussion about incest in Bradford here a while ago. That too could get you fined or imprisoned, imo. Evidence for that statement: a Danish historian was charged with hate speech for observing that there was a higher incidence of rape and child molestation in some muslim areas. According to the prosecution (and the law), it is immaterial whether or not his statement was true, only that he "should have known it would cause offense". He narrowly escaped fines and criminal record on the technicality that the prosecution had failed to prove that he knew his comments would be disseminated. If true statements such of that are criminalised, I can see circumstances such as the Rotherham Abuse cases where people trying to expose what was happening weren't merely ignored or sacked, but punished under the law for their efforts.
The concerns with hate speech are threefold in my opinion. Firstly, that it is wrong to criminalise opinions, thoughts and the expression of such. Secondly, that the definition of Hate Speech is a political tool of whoever is in power. In the case of Germany it is used to prevent free discussion of the issue of immigration, for example. Thirdly, it prevents the challenging of such views. If the response to something you disagree with is to punch (fine or imprison) the person you disagree with, then you have done nothing to dissuade them of their views and quite a lot to make everyone else think they have a point.
Anyway, ranting and highlighting the ever encroaching nature of Thought Police in Europe.
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/facebook-twitter-hate-speech-germany-fine
Germany already has a number of "Hate Speech" laws. What this bill does is not add to that, but give it more teeth. It allows for enormous fines for companies like Facebook and Google for not removing Hate Speech. It also adds provisions to help them comply as well - allowing outsourcing of content policing to third parties for example. In essence, the bill is saying: "here is a nice cleared path for you to go down and here is the boot coming to kick you if you don't go down it." Or alternately you could look at it as removing potential excuses for non-compliance in advance.
The good or bad of that of course depending on whether you think criminalising "Hate Speech" is a good thing or not. Rather plainly, I do not. These laws don't only apply to Facebook or Google (though that's a major issue by itself). They apply to any online forum. There are things I have said on these forums - supportable facts - that would see me fined or arrested. For example, I am strongly against Halal meat and have argued why on these forums. One critic of halal practices in France has been fined €30,000 for the same opinions I have posted here. We had a discussion about incest in Bradford here a while ago. That too could get you fined or imprisoned, imo. Evidence for that statement: a Danish historian was charged with hate speech for observing that there was a higher incidence of rape and child molestation in some muslim areas. According to the prosecution (and the law), it is immaterial whether or not his statement was true, only that he "should have known it would cause offense". He narrowly escaped fines and criminal record on the technicality that the prosecution had failed to prove that he knew his comments would be disseminated. If true statements such of that are criminalised, I can see circumstances such as the Rotherham Abuse cases where people trying to expose what was happening weren't merely ignored or sacked, but punished under the law for their efforts.
The concerns with hate speech are threefold in my opinion. Firstly, that it is wrong to criminalise opinions, thoughts and the expression of such. Secondly, that the definition of Hate Speech is a political tool of whoever is in power. In the case of Germany it is used to prevent free discussion of the issue of immigration, for example. Thirdly, it prevents the challenging of such views. If the response to something you disagree with is to punch (fine or imprison) the person you disagree with, then you have done nothing to dissuade them of their views and quite a lot to make everyone else think they have a point.
Anyway, ranting and highlighting the ever encroaching nature of Thought Police in Europe.