Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 229 posts

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#41

Post by lopmotr »

im3w1l wrote: post #35

Germany acts to clamp down on free speach, learning from its own history of clamping down on free speech under both the communists and the nazis. They are even hiring former stasi people to do it. http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/17/german-govt-hires...

The didn't have free speech to begin with. People forget Germany, France and the UK don't have the basic concept of freedom of speech that America does. You could already go to prison for insulting the wrong groups or supporting the wrong political party, and people have.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#42

Post by lopmotr »

ihsw2 wrote: post #34

And yet the hammer and sickle are regarded as symbols of freedom and Marxism is regarded as a movement to empower the oppressed. How revolting. Adherents to Communist ideology have killed many millions more than Nazis ever dreamed of and caused untold amounts of devastation over the past century.

Not only that, but communism is still an ongoing danger, unlike Nazism. Venezuela just experienced it. Zimbabwe a decade before, and now South Africa is slipping closer towards it. It's a real danger to human life but somehow people celebrate it.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#43

Post by archgoon »

ihsw2 wrote: post #34

And yet the hammer and sickle are regarded as symbols of freedom and Marxism is regarded as a movement to empower the oppressed. How revolting. Adherents to Communist ideology have killed many millions more than Nazis ever dreamed of and caused untold amounts of devastation over the past century.

This article is mostly not about Nazis (search for it, it shows up once, and just one out of a number of examples). I'm a bit baffled why you think it is.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#44

Post by namirez »

Eridrus wrote: post #9

I find it interesting that platforms are liable for hosting hate speech, but individual users are not liable for creating it. It's also interesting that Human Rights Watch has come out against the German law: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/14/germany-flawed-social-me...

Maybe because these are public forums rather than private messaging tools. Although, I presume individual users are liable too.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#45

Post by hh3k0 »

namirez wrote: post #44
Eridrus wrote: post #9

I find it interesting that platforms are liable for hosting hate speech, but individual users are not liable for creating it. It's also interesting that Human Rights Watch has come out against the German law: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/14/germany-flawed-social-me...

Maybe because these are public forums rather than private messaging tools. Although, I presume individual users are liable too.

You presume correctly. The users who post hate speech are absolutely liable. It's just that those who host the content in question are liable, too.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#47

Post by r00fus »

joering2 wrote: post #37
dmoy wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depending on the type of hate speech in Germany, you can get thrown in prison for up to 5 years.

Thats true. One of my ex classmates went first time abroad, and upon leaving zoll (german border) he told officer “heil hitler” out of pure excitement and probably too many historical movies watched (is there anything else to watch that is german made?). No amount of explanations was sufficient. He got 3 months behind bars and 10 years ban to visit germany. That was in 2007. I assume now its even worse.

Worse? Germany takes that shit seriously. The first amendment (absolute freedom of speech) is not a worldwide thing.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#48

Post by School-Cotton »

joering2 wrote: post #37
dmoy wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depending on the type of hate speech in Germany, you can get thrown in prison for up to 5 years.

Thats true. One of my ex classmates went first time abroad, and upon leaving zoll (german border) he told officer “heil hitler” out of pure excitement and probably too many historical movies watched (is there anything else to watch that is german made?). No amount of explanations was sufficient. He got 3 months behind bars and 10 years ban to visit germany. That was in 2007. I assume now its even worse.

It's unclear whether you mean you're German, and your German classmate was leaving Germany, or you're foreign, and your classmate was entering Germany.

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#49

Post by foepys »

im3w1l wrote: post #35

Germany acts to clamp down on free speach, learning from its own history of clamping down on free speech under both the communists and the nazis. They are even hiring former stasi people to do it. http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/17/german-govt-hires...

But Germany and other countries without the concept of free speech are regularly ranking a lot higher than the US on the Press Freedom Index. How do you explain that?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Re: Germany Acts to Tame Facebook, Learning from Its Own History of Hate

#50

Post by doesnt_know »

Eridrus wrote: post #9

I find it interesting that platforms are liable for hosting hate speech, but individual users are not liable for creating it. It's also interesting that Human Rights Watch has come out against the German law: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/14/germany-flawed-social-me...

Hate speech laws aren't completely uncommon, so individual users would be liable for creating it. In NZ law, it's part of our Human Rights Act:

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0082/latest/D...

"It shall be unlawful for any person to publish or distribute written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting, or to broadcast by means of radio or television or other electronic communication words which are threatening, abusive, or insulting"

Post reply on HN