Proposed German Legislation Would Fine Social Networks €500,000 Per Fake News Post

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter could be fined exorbitant amounts of money in Germany if they don't fully address fake news. A legislative proposal in the country includes a €500,000 fine for every instance of fake news that isn't quickly removed. Facebook has been publicly targeted by politicians involved with the legislation, though it would apply to all social networks.

Facebook and others would be given 24 hours to remove legitimate fake news content.

This legislation has been endorsed by the Social Democratic Party, including parliamentary chairman Thomas Oppermann.

Facebook did not avail itself of the opportunity to regulate the issue of complaint management itself. Now market dominating platforms like Facebook will be legally required to build a legal protection office in Germany that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If, after appropriate examination, Facebook does not delete the offending message within 24 hours, it should expect individual fines of up to 500,000 euros. Furthermore, at the request of the people concerned, there should be some form of remedy or correction within the same range of value.- Oppermann

The chance of this proposal actually leading to fines is incredibly low, though it adds to the pressure social networks are facing to deal with fake news.