The German Act on Improving Law Enforcement on Social Networks (NetzDG): A Blunt Sword?

41 Pages Posted: 9 Jan 2019

See all articles by Sandra Schmitz

Sandra Schmitz

Universite du Luxembourg - Interdisciplinary Center for Security, Reliability and Trust; Universite du Luxembourg - Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance

Christian M. Berndt

Dr. SCHMITZ & BERNDT RECHTSANWÄLTE

Date Written: December 14, 2018

Abstract

On 1 October 2017, the German law with the rather cumbersome title Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz, which literally translates to “Network Enforcement Act”, entered into force. This federal law aims to improve law enforcement in social networks by calling providers of social net-works to account in order to act on online speech that is punishable under domestic criminal law. During the legislative process and in the materials accompanying the law, the legislator repeatedly stressed that the law is necessary to respond to a (perceived) proliferation of hate speech and fake news on social media. Facebook, one of the very few social networks to which the Act will apply, expressed its concerns harshly during the legislative proceedings: the bill was deemed imprecise, unconstitutional and a threat for freedom of opinion in Germany. The bill did not only stir criticism from social media companies, also many legal scholars and the scientific research service of the German Parliament raised their concerns. Against the severe criticism, the Act also attracted attention beyond Germany with in particular the United Kingdom and France eyeing on its impact in practice. With the first anniversary of the NetzDG, this paper will look at the past, present and future of the highly controversial law and examine the impact of the law that has been rated as to seriously impair human rights online when it entered into force.

Keywords: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression, Germany, NetzDG, Social Networks, Hate Speech, Fake News

Suggested Citation

Schmitz, Sandra and Berndt, Christian, The German Act on Improving Law Enforcement on Social Networks (NetzDG): A Blunt Sword? (December 14, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3306964 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3306964

Sandra Schmitz (Contact Author)

Universite du Luxembourg - Interdisciplinary Center for Security, Reliability and Trust ( email )

6, avenue de la Fonte
Esch sur Alzette, L-4365
Luxembourg

HOME PAGE: http://www.securityandtrust.lu

Universite du Luxembourg - Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance ( email )

162a, avenue de la Faïencerie
Luxembourg-Limpertsberg, L-1511
Luxembourg

Christian Berndt

Dr. SCHMITZ & BERNDT RECHTSANWÄLTE ( email )

Schwarzer Weg
4
Trier, 54293

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
620
Abstract Views
2,387
Rank
70,220
PlumX Metrics