How Jokes Can Get You Blocked in Germany

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At the start of this year, Germany introduced one of the strictest laws on online hate speech in Europe. Social media companies are required to take down illegal hate speech under the threat of massive fines. But there have been some strange consequences as a result of the new law, and many are worried about its impact on free speech. Some comedians are now complaining that their material is becoming a casualty in an increasing “culture of deletion”. This week we’re in Germany speaking to a young stand-up comedian, a cartoonist and the head of a satirical magazine, Titanic. They tell the story of how their deleted jokes made headlines across the country and sparked a debate on whether the new law is undermining freedom of expression. Reporter: Jan Bruck Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Producer: Elizabeth Cassin Photo Caption: German comedian Sophie Passmann was one of the first people to be caught up in the country’s new hate speech law when one of her jokes on Twitter was deleted Photo Credit: BBC