Germany fines Facebook $2.3 million for only reporting a 'fraction' of its illegal content complaints

(Image credit: Stephen Lam)

last updated 2 July 2019

Facebook has been hit with a $2.3 million fine by German authorities, who say the company underreported the number of illegal content complaints it has received, CNN reports.

The German Federal Office of Justice on Tuesday said that a 2018 transparency report Facebook submitted as required by German law "lists only a fraction of complaints about illegal content" and that the company created a "distorted public image."

Under Germany's Network Enforcement Act, social media companies have to release information every six months on the amount of illegal content complaints it has had, CNN notes. But the Federal Office of Justice said Facebook only counted certain types of complaints, therefore producing an inaccurate number, Reuters reports. The Associated Press reports that Germany's law was implemented to combat hate speech, and the illegal content in question would include, for example, anti-Semitic insults. Politico notes this is the "first time that a European country has sanctioned an American social media giant for failing to be transparent about the way it handles hate speech."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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