Information Policy

Germany cracks down on internet hate speech

Germany is cracking down on hate speech posted on social media platforms.

Under a law passed on Saturday (NZ time), social media companies in the country will face fines as substantial as NZ$77 million if they do not delete illegal, racist or slanderous comments and posts within 24 hours of being notified.

Antitrust: Commission fines Google €2.42 billion for abusing dominance as search engine by giving illegal advantage to own comparison shopping service

Brussels, 27 June 2017

The European Commission has fined Google €2.42 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. Google has abused its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to another Google product, its comparison shopping service.

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Dr. Katrin Nyman Metcalf is working as a legal expert on e-governance for the Estonian e-Governance Academy as well as teaching Legal Aspects of e-Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. She has worked in countries across the globe in this field, which makes her the right person to explain the legal side of e-governance.

By Justus Leicht
24 March 2017

Under the pretext of combatting “fake news” and “hate speech” on the internet, Justice Minister Heiko Maas (Social Democratic Party, SPD) is planning a massive attack on free speech.

On March 14, Maas presented a draft of a so-called network enforcement law (NetzDG), which imposes extensive surveillance and censorship responsibilities on commercial social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If the draft becomes law, such sites will be required to react immediately to complaints and block “obviously illegal content” within 24 hours. Other illegal content must be erased within seven days.

The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament has appointed Estonian MEP Marju Lauristin as the rapporteur for the Report on the ePrivacy Regulation. She will prepare the Report on behalf of the Civil Liberties and Fundamental Rights (LIBE) Committee. Previously, she was a shadow rapporteur on the GDPR and the rapporteur on the directive on data protection in police and justice cooperation. LIBE is the lead committee on the dossier.

Katrin Nyman Metcalf on legal aspects of eGoverance in Estonia

Dr. Katrin Nyman Metcalf is working as a legal expert on e-governance for the Estonian e-Governance Academy as well as teaching Legal Aspects of e-Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. She has worked in countries across the globe in this field, which makes her the right person to explain the legal side of e-governance.

German justice minister proposes internet censorship legislation

By Justus Leicht
24 March 2017

Under the pretext of combatting “fake news” and “hate speech” on the internet, Justice Minister Heiko Maas (Social Democratic Party, SPD) is planning a massive attack on free speech.

On March 14, Maas presented a draft of a so-called network enforcement law (NetzDG), which imposes extensive surveillance and censorship responsibilities on commercial social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If the draft becomes law, such sites will be required to react immediately to complaints and block “obviously illegal content” within 24 hours. Other illegal content must be erased within seven days.

Marju Lauristin Named Rapporteur for ePrivacy Regulation

The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament has appointed Estonian MEP Marju Lauristin as the rapporteur for the Report on the ePrivacy Regulation. She will prepare the Report on behalf of the Civil Liberties and Fundamental Rights (LIBE) Committee. Previously, she was a shadow rapporteur on the GDPR and the rapporteur on the directive on data protection in police and justice cooperation. LIBE is the lead committee on the dossier.