Nationwide action against hate speech: Police in MV also active!

Nationwide action against hate speech: Police in MV also active!

In a decisive step against hatred and agitation on the Internet, a nationwide campaign took place today under the leadership of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) instead of. The police were also involved in the measures in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, although no searches were carried out here. One focus of the investigation was on a case from Neubrandenburg, which particularly concerns insults against the AfD politician Alice Weidel.

According to the South German newspaper On this day of action, more than 180 measures were implemented in over 140 investigations, including the issuance of over 65 search warrants. Numerous suspects were questioned. The North Rhine-Westphalian Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) made it clear that digital arsonists should not hide behind cell phones or computers.

Growing challenge: hate crime on the internet

The challenges of dealing with hate crime have grown steadily in the digital age. Experts complain that domestic and judicial authorities, especially the police, do too little to combat such crimes. The Prif Blog highlights the lack of an effective digital policing strategy to combat hate crime. Preventative measures in particular could often be inadequate.

The statistics show a worrying increase: According to the BKA, the number of cases of criminal hate postings more than quadrupled between 2021 and 2024. Two thirds of these hate posts come from the right-wing spectrum, but left-wing, religious or foreign ideologies are also affected. A total of 10,501 cases of politically motivated crime were recorded in 2021, of which 2,411 were hate crimes.

A specter called hate speech

Hate speech refers to the linguistic expression of dislike or prejudice against certain social groups and can have significant social consequences. This form of expression can often be considered a criminal offense, although it usually violates human dignity and personal rights. The problem is further complicated by the fact that many users do not report potentially criminal content. Around a quarter take it upon themselves to report such content to platform operators.

Overall, it should be noted that combating online hate crime is a task for society as a whole. With the latest day of action, the authorities are trying not only to react, but also to proactively stop those responsible for hate postings. It remains to be seen whether the measures will last and really make a difference - but the move shows that something is finally being done.