This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, the German Federal Office of Justice fined Facebook €2 million for under-reporting illegal content on its platform.
The fine was issued after an investigation found that Facebook's 2018 transparency report was 'inadequate' and did not accurately reflect the amount of illegal content on the platform.
According to the report, Facebook listed only a fraction of complaints about illegal content, making it difficult for users to find the form used to flag illegal content.
As a result, the social network created a distorted public image about the size of the illegal content and the way it deals with complaints.
Facebook has been required to remove hate speech and fake news within 24 hours of it being flagged, or face penalties of up to €60 million.
Despite the fine, Facebook appears to have reported less illegal content than some rival social media networks, including Google's YouTube.
Germany has tougher hate speech laws than many other countries, with hate speech, Holocaust denial, and the display of certain symbols, such as the swastika, being illegal and punishable by prison.
