More than a year ago, the federal government tightened its rules against hate online in a major law change. But a look at the resulting proceedings is sobering – compared to the year before, there was no change in the charges. However, the minister sees no need to take action to further tighten the regulations.
The dramatic persecution of the recently deceased doctor Lisa Maria Kellermayr made it possible to follow almost in real time on social media not only the impact of digital hate on those affected, but also how vulnerable many felt.
Through Twitter, for example, countless victims reported grueling efforts to report such cases to authorities – but they often felt that they were not being taken seriously and resigned to the lack of consequences.
No increase in costs
A look at the statistics confirms this picture: although the offenses have been expanded or supplemented in the past year, the goal of making the internet safer for everyone seems a long way off. As the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” reported on Wednesday, there were 56 charges in this area last year — exactly the same number as in the year before the reform.
Hardly any requests to track down perpetrators
The situation is similar in the case of hate speech – hate speech against individuals, for example because of their religion or a disability, is now also punishable. With 92 indictments, it was just eight more than in 2020. There were 22 charges for so-called upskirt (ie secret photos or videos under the skirt or in the cleavage) and only 65 people had anonymous individuals investigated on the Internet – a negligible number compared to the many incidents.
Zadic: Laws are enough
So too little is being done against the excessive hatred? The responsible minister weighs it heavily: the laws would already be sufficient, emphasized Alma Zadic (Greens) in the ORF “ZiB 2” on Tuesday. She sees the problem more in platforms like Telegram or Twitter, which “certainly do not follow the Austrian rules”. The federal government now needs to think about how to hold them accountable, Zadic said.
Free process support hardly used
She also pointed to the ministry’s process support, which is intended to absorb financial damage for those affected. Although three million euros per year has been budgeted for this, so far only 16 people have taken advantage of this opportunity – so far it has cost only 11,500 euros. An indication that this support needs to be communicated much better.
Source: Krone
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