Berlin: German Justice Minister Heiko Maas on Sunday called on prosecutors and the courts to pursue criminal investigations against those who disseminate fake news on the internet.
Germany’s political establishment has been debating the effect such stories might have on federal elections next year.
“(We need to) make full use of the legislative framework in a consistent way,” Maas told German tabloid Bild am Sonntag.
Under German law, disseminating fake news is punishable with up to five years in prison.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s broadly unpredicted US presidential election victory on November 8, attention has focused on the extent to which fake news sites masquerading as legitimate media outlets could have shaped voter opinion.
In a recent speech in parliament, Merkel acknowledged the role that fake news might play during Germany’s election, calling for new ways to regulate online information and tougher measures to crack down on hate speech.
Also on Sunday, outgoing president of the EU Parliament, Martin Schulz, called for new legislation to crack down on fake news, both at the national and at the European level.
In an interview with Germany’s Funke media group, Schulz said that social media platforms such as Facebook should be made responsible for failing to prevent the dissemination of fake news. DPA
