Taking a Stand Against Online Hate: 70% of Germans Want Action from Politics
- circa - 2 Min read
Significant percentage of Germans calls for political action - Online Hostility: Germans Urge Politicians to Intervene Against Online Hatred
Cyberbullying, threats, and derogatory comments - a staggering 75% of Germans have encountered such online hate at some point. These chilling findings come from a recent survey by Forsa on behalf of RTL, conducted from June 10-12, 2025.
International Day Against Hate Speech: June 18
Younger individuals and frequent social media users are more likely to experience such digital malice. However, only 16% of those surveyed revealed personal encounters with online hate.
Regardless of personal experience, a clear 70% of participants believe politics is not doing enough to combat online hate and demand more action. Even among AfD supporters, 55% concur. Surprisingly, only 14% agree that measures against online hate speech restrict freedom of speech, with 83% disagreeing.
For the first time, June 18 was declared the International Day Against Hate Speech by the United Nations in 2021. This year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlines the peril of using AI and biased algorithms to spread hate speech. He urges the countering of toxic narratives with positive messages and empowering people to recognize, resist, and protect themselves against online hate speech.
Combatting Hate Speech in Germany: RTL Germany's Stand
RTL Germany supports the International Day Against Hate Speech with the initiative "Together. Against Hate and Hate Speech." Throughout the week, they will delve into the effects of negative online culture, provide practical guidance, and explore the impact on children's psyches. The program will also discuss where to find help and the legal options available, as well as the Ministry of Digital Affairs' future plans to combat online hate.
Side Notes: The Forsa poll surveyed 1002 people in Germany. The poll is statistically representative, with a +/- 3 percentage point error tolerance.
Keywords: Hate, Hate Speech, Forsa, Polling Institute
Important Legislation:
German authorities address online hate speech through combined national and European legal measures. Key initiatives include:
- The Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG), passed in 2017, requires social media platforms with over 2 million users to promptly remove clearly illegal content and face fines if they fail to comply. Platforms must also retain deleted content and provide transparency reports. [1]
- The European Union Digital Services Act (DSA), implemented in Germany and affecting platforms like Instagram, Google, YouTube, and others, mandates notice and action systems, blocks illegal content, and notification of law enforcement regarding serious criminal threats. The DSA emphasizes transparency, risk management, and stricter oversight. Unlike NetzDG, it does not require proactive content scanning, instead focusing on complaint-driven content removal and risk management. [5]
While these measures successfully improve complaint management and accountability, they spark ongoing debate regarding freedom of expression concerns, with some critics pointing to potential over-censorship. [2][3]
These Forsa survey results emphasize growing public concern over online hate speech. In response, German politics is shaping a legal framework, encompassing the strict removal and reporting requirements of the NetzDG alongside the broader EU DSA's focus on systemic risk management and transparency to preserve both the suppression of illegal hate speech and free expression. This delicate balance is under ongoing review as heated discussions about the ideal balance persist.
[1] "Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG): Legal Background and Evaluation - Germanwatch." Germanwatch, 16 Oct. 2018, https://www.germanwatch.org/en/15341.
[2] "Council of Europe Recommendation Rec(2018)13 on Combating Hate Speech." Council of Europe, 25 Oct. 2018, https://rm.coe.int/council-of-europe-recommendation-rec201813-on-combating-hate-speech/1680afbdc5.
[3] "Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech in Germany - Human Rights Watch." HRW, 8 May 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/08/freedom-expression-and-hate-speech-germany.
[4] "Guidance on the Proposed Regulation on a Europecan Approach for Enhanced Cooperation and Effective Action Against Terrorist Content Online." European Parliament, 4 Mar. 2020, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/active/2018/IQ/TARDC/150927/20181031ATT91054/20181031ATT91054EN.pdf.
[5] "Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Framework for the Free Movement of Goods and Services, Union of the Internal Market, and Repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/1046." Eur-Lex, 15 Dec. 2020, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R0945&from=EN.
- The survey conducted by Forsa reveals that a significant majority of Germans believe there is a need for more action from politics regarding the implementation of community policy and employment policy to combat online hate speech, including efforts to enforce the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) and the European Union Digital Services Act (DSA).
- In conjunction with international efforts like the International Day Against Hate Speech,several German authorities and organizations, such as RTL Germany, are taking a stand against online hate speech through numerous initiatives, such as providing guidance on addressing negative online culture and discussing the impact on children's psyches, as well as advocating for stricter enforcement of existing policy in the realm of politics and employment policy.
