New report details the results of Germany’s effort to prosecute citizens for online speech

A new report from the New York Times details how Germany has “gone further than any other Western democracy” to prosecute individuals for what they say online.

In 2017, Germany passed a landmark law — the Network Enforcement Act — that forced online platforms to quickly take down hate speech or face fines.

Companies ramped up their content moderation to comply with the new law, but many German policymakers said the law did not go far enough because it targeted companies rather than the individuals who created the offending posts, reports the Times.