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Elon Musk’s Twitter hit with Holocaust denial hate speech lawsuit in Germany
Tech Crunch ^ | January 25, 2023 | Natasha Lomas

Posted on 02/05/2023 8:35:05 AM PST by Angelino97

Twitter owner and self-proclaimed “free-speech absolutist” Elon Musk is facing a legal challenge in Germany over how the platform handles antisemitic hate speech.

The lawsuit, which was filed yesterday in the Berlin regional court by HateAid, a group that campaigns against hate speech, and the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), argues that Musk-owned Twitter is failing to enforce its own rules against antisemitic content, including Holocaust denial.

Holocaust denial is a crime in Germany — which has strict laws prohibiting antisemitic hate speech — making the Berlin court a compelling arena to hear such a challenge.

“[A]lthough Twitter prohibits antisemitic hostilities in its Rules and Policies, the platform leaves a lot of such content online. Even if the platform is alerted about it by users,” the litigants argue. “Current studies prove that 84% of posts containing antisemitic hate speech were not reviewed by social media platforms, as shown in a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Which means that Twitter knows Jews are being publicly attacked on the platform every day and that antisemitism is becoming a normality in our society. And that the platform’s response is by no means adequate.”

For his part, Musk has repeatedly claimed Twitter will respect all laws in the countries where it operates (including European speech laws). Although he has yet to make any public comment on this specific lawsuit.

(Excerpt) Read more at techcrunch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: elonmusk; holocaust; oyvey; thewarisover; twitter
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To: Lockbox
MMM, no Hitler, no Holocaust, no Holocaust, no Holocaust denial, no Holocaust denial, no hate speech...... seems the problem was created by Germany electing Hitler.

I don't understand your point. Are you saying that anti-"hate speech" laws are valid because Germany elected Hitler in 1932?

That would be like saying that anti-"hate speech" laws are valid in the U.S. because of slavery and Jim Crow.

21 posted on 02/05/2023 11:08:23 AM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97
How does Germany collect any damages that may be awarded? And as for holocaust denial...with all the photos,video,reliable eyewitness accounts and actual Nazi documents of course it's stupid beyond belief,but what actual harm can it do?
22 posted on 02/05/2023 12:43:45 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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To: Angelino97

I’m for free speech, not government controlled speech. Today’s acceptable speech is tomorrow banned speech. If you do not like something someone said, then don’t listen! There are many speakers today pushing their government accepted perversion, speech which ten years ago was not acceptable in normal society. Now we can discuss any sort of sexual perversion to even minors. Government given on one hand and take way with another. That is the point!


23 posted on 02/05/2023 1:08:19 PM PST by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: Lockbox

Speech is paid for, and the person speaking serves those who pay for it.


24 posted on 02/05/2023 1:11:02 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Gay State Conservative
How does Germany collect any damages that may be awarded?

Germany is not suing. The suit was filed in a German court.

The plaintiffs are "HateAid, a group that campaigns against hate speech, and the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)"

25 posted on 02/05/2023 1:51:59 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97
Well...if a judgment is made against Twitter in that court it would be up to German officials to collect.
26 posted on 02/05/2023 1:56:36 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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To: Gay State Conservative
I suppose the German courts would expect Musk to respect their laws and pay out to the plaintiffs.

If not, then perhaps some German official would file a claim with the sheriff, or court, or federal marshal, or whoever, located where Musk lives.

I'm not an expert on international law.

27 posted on 02/05/2023 1:59:42 PM PST by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97
So an American-owned company is supposed to enforce Germany's law on behalf of Germany - and essentially impose that law on everyone who uses Twitter world-wide?
28 posted on 02/05/2023 4:32:56 PM PST by simpson96
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To: Angelino97
Are you saying that anti-"hate speech" laws are valid because Germany elected Hitler in 1932?

No, he is clearly not saying that. He is saying that the Germans are quite hypocritical since the worst anti-Jew ACTION is rooted in Germany through the election that placed Hitler in control.

29 posted on 02/05/2023 5:48:23 PM PST by GingisK
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To: dfwgator

Yep, but “ Speech is paid for” can also mean someone punched the speaker in the mouth because they disagreed... which tends to make people careful of what they say to strangers.


30 posted on 02/06/2023 7:09:57 AM PST by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: Angelino97
I think the Biden Administration just proved my point!

Biden State Department Only Offers ‘Free Speech’ Grants to Far-Left Activists

https://amgreatness.com/2023/02/06/biden-state-department-only-offers-free-speech-grants-to-far-left-activists/

31 posted on 02/06/2023 7:22:02 AM PST by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: euram

Germany bans far more than just Holocaust denial. Supporting the Nazis is a crime, because it is effectively treason.


32 posted on 02/06/2023 10:13:09 PM PST by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers." )
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