The discussion about freedom of expression in Germany and the way the judiciary deals with online statements, such as sharing "idiot" memes, has now attracted international attention. The strict handling of the German authorities is causing surprise, especially in the USA.

The renowned US news format "60 Minutes" from CBS News reported on how so-called hate comments are dealt with in Germany. The report was headlined: "Publishing hate speech on the Internet can lead to a police search of a house in this European country." The US journalists accompanied a nationwide "Day of Action against Hate Crime on the Internet" and documented live how investigators searched apartments and confiscated cell phones and laptops.

Surprise at the actions of the judiciary

The reporter asked three prosecutors from the Central Office for Combating Hate Crime on the Internet - Lower Saxony (ZHIN) at the Göttingen Public Prosecutor's Office how those affected react to the confiscation of their devices. Senior Public Prosecutor Frank-Michael Laue explained: "They are shocked" - whereupon he and his colleagues laughed. He added: "Having your cell phone taken away is already a punishment - it's even worse than the fine itself."

The scene with the laughing prosecutors - Dr. Matthäus Fink, Svenja Meininghaus and Frank-Michael Laue - caused criticism. US Vice President JD Vance also commented on the CBS News images on the X platform: "Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing statements will put a heavy strain on relations between Europe and the USA. This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the USA must reject this madness."

Different views on freedom of expression

The CBS News reporter explained that the Internet is often filled with insults and misinformation. In the USA, the First Amendment to the Constitution allows almost unlimited freedom of speech under the principle of "Free Speech" . In contrast, Germany is trying to bring more civility to the Internet through legal measures - an approach that is hard to imagine for many Americans.

The US camera team documented several house searches on a single day, during which a total of 50 such measures were carried out because of hate comments on the Internet.

A curious example: The case of Andy Grote

As a particularly notable example , “60 Minutes” described the case of Hamburg SPD Interior Senator Andy Grote. After he was called a “dick” on X, he filed a complaint. This led to a house search, but the case was ultimately dropped. This action led to considerable criticism of the authorities’ actions and triggered a wave of “dick” jokes on social networks.

The US journalists summed up the case as follows: "As the investigators explained to us, it is permitted in Germany to debate with politicians online - but it can be a criminal offense to call someone a 'dick' - even a politician."

In another moment, an investigator from Lower Saxony shows the US camera team the confiscated electronic devices.

Germany as a country of rules?

In their documentary, the US journalists paint a picture of the Germans as a rule-conscious people. Among other things, they show scenes of pedestrians waiting patiently at red lights, even when there are no cars in sight. Nevertheless, they emphasize that there is also criticism of the measures against hate speech in Germany.

On social networks, especially on X, the reporting sparked a heated debate and numerous critical comments.









Source: LifeBlog_MFRadio