Germany passes stringent hate speech law

Angela Merkel’s government has passed a law that obliges social media companies including Facebook and Google to remove hate speech and other illegal content within very short timeframes, or face fines worth tens of millions of euros.

The law was passed on the last day of parliamentary business before the summer break and is one of the most punitive measures of its kind in the world.

Human rights groups are concerned it may go too far, as Joe Miller explains.