BERLIN • German prosecutors said yesterday they have launched a probe after receiving a complaint alleging that top Facebook bosses including founder Mark Zuckerberg are condoning hate speech, as pressure grows on the social network to clamp down on racist content.
The probe comes as top politicians are ratcheting up warnings against the US social network, with the German Justice Ministry mulling over possible penalties if Facebook failed to remove offensive user commentaries promptly after they have been flagged.
Concern has been rising over the vitriolic comments made by some Facebook and Twitter users in Germany, which have gained intensity as public misgivings grow over the almost 900,000 asylum seekers who arrived last year.
Confirming a challenge against Facebook, the spokesman for the Munich prosecution service, Florian Weinzierl, said "a complaint has been filed by a lawyer that accuses, among others, Mr Zuckerberg" of "the offence of incitement".
His prosecution service is examining if it is the "competent office for such claims and whether there has been criminal conduct", he said, adding that investigators are looking into whether German penal law applies in this case.
Lawyer Chan-jo Jun, who initiated the claim, said he had compiled a list of 438 cases, including incitement of hate and violence as well as support for terrorist groups made on Facebook, but which he said the social network has failed to delete even though they have been repeatedly flagged as offensive speech.
"The management violated German law, by not removing illegal content from Facebook despite being notified, and allowing the content to be publicly available," Mr Jun stated in his complaint.
He said the complaint also targets Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and managing director of the northern Europe region Martin Ott.
Facebook declined to comment on the probe but said "the allegations lack merit and there has been no violation of German law by Facebook or its employees".
"There is no place for hate on Facebook. We work closely with partners to fight hate speech and foster counter speech," it added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
