Germany: Federal Criminal Police Office searches apartments for "hate postings"

BERLIN. The police took action against so-called hate crime on the Internet during a large-scale raid in several federal states. The officers searched 83 apartments for evidence of criminal comments on the Internet and heard 96 suspects on the allegation. In addition, they seized alleged criminal elements such as smartphones and laptops. The occasion is the sixth day of action against "hate postings". Exclusion, hatred and calls for violence must also be able to be countered on the Internet "with the same legal means as in the analogue world", the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) justified its approach.

That is why a “central office for combating hate crime on the Internet” is being set up at the BKA. Based on the planned reporting obligation for Internet service providers, the incoming information should first be checked for its "criminal relevance before the authors of criminal content are identified and consistently held responsible," said the authority.

Other states are also taking action against postings of hatred
The raids took place in Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The BKA calls for "hate postings" to be reported to the police. In some federal states, such legal violations can be reported anonymously.

Europol is coordinating the measures this year. In addition to Germany, six other European countries would take part in the campaign for the first time. Among them are France, Great Britain and Italy.

Source: Junge Freiheit