Facebook, Twitter could face fines in Germany over hate speech posts

Berlin

SOCIAL media giants including Facebook and Twitter are not doing enough to curb hate speech on their platforms and face fines of up to US$53 million if they do not strengthen their efforts to delete illegal posts, a German government minister said on Tuesday.

The move by the country's authorities comes as technology companies face increasing scrutiny worldwide over how they police online material, including hate speech, potential terrorist propaganda and fake news. The debate has been particularly acute in Germany, which has become a case study for combating such material because of its stringent laws on what can and cannot be published.

For tech companies and free speech campaigners, this global regulatory push could limit how individuals communicate online by restricting people's digital activities and allowing governments to expa…