Germany Seeks To Ban Social Media Accounts For Committing ‘Digital Violence’ And Trolling

The following report is by Breitbart:

Earlier this week, the Federal Ministry of Justice called for the creation of a “law against digital violence” under which German courts could ban social media accounts of individual users and even force companies to unmask their identity if the account was anonymous.

The proposal would target those who are deemed to be “notorious violators in the digital space”, particularly anonymous trolls, the Tagesschau broadcaster reported.

The ministry said that the drastic measure of a court banning an account should only be taken if other methods, such as censoring an individual post, have been exhausted. The government agency went on to say that the state bans should only be put into place for a “reasonable period of time.”

SEE: UN Secretary General Says Calls To Stop ‘Spread Of Mis- And Disinformation’ On Internet, And To Better Protect The Media

Ulf Buermeyer, a lawyer and chairman of the dubiously named Society for Civil Liberties, celebrated the government’s censorious plans, saying: “Why should you be able to offend someone?”.

Buermeyer argued that the measure was necessary as merely deleting an offensive post has little impact on deterrence as it often has spread widely on the internet before being taken down and therefore blocking accounts may be more impactful in preventing such speech.

The legislation would come on top of the draconian Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) in Germany, which already requires social media companies to remove “illegal content” such as hate speech or insults.

SEE: European NGOs Are Pushing The Public To Snitch On Each Other And Report ‘Digital Violence’ And Hate Speech

Earlier this month, the Federal Ministry of Justice announced that it had opened up legal proceedings against Twitter over alleged failures to censor hate speech and insults on its platform under the NetzDG legislation, which carries with it a potential fine of up to 50 million euros.

The Internet is not a law-free space. Platforms must not simply accept it if their services are misused to distribute criminal content.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said.

Germany is home to some of the strictest speech codes in the Western world, with it being illegal in the country — on penalty of up to two years in prison — to “violate the human dignity” of others by “insulting, maliciously maligning or defaming a group defined by its national, racial, religious or ethnic origin, ideology, disability or sexual orientation.”

SEE: Google Launches “Prebunking” Campaign In Europe To Stop Spread Of Fake News And Disinformation

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

As I have noted in other reports, censorship in 2023 was only poised to rise at rapid rates even more than it has, and this is yet another example of it.

[25] How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? [26] Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

Job 6:25-26

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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