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Austria's online hate speech law, now being
drawn up, will target platforms with more than 100,000 users and
annual revenues of more than 500,000 euros, Justice Minister
Alma Zadic said. It will give victims of online insults and
abuse the opportunity to fight back quickly at a low cost, she
said.
"The internet is not a lawless space. Our rule of law also
applies to the internet," the minister told a news conference. A
new fast-track procedure, free of charge for the first three
years, would enable victims to obtain a cease and desist order
within days.
Platforms will be obliged to set up easily accessible reporting
systems, appoint a contact person for users and report on the
complaints received annually, according to the draft law. They
will have to delete obviously criminal content within 24 hours
of receiving a complaint and otherwise unlawful content within
seven days.
Concerns about hateful posts are mounting globally. A German law
in force since 2018 has had a limited impact so far, and Berlin
has called for more action within the European Union.
The new Austrian law will also address so-called upskirting, a
practice that typically involves someone taking a picture under
another person's clothing without their knowledge, and provides
for a penalty of up to one year.
The law will be submitted shortly to parliament for review and
will need parliamentary approval at a later date.
($1 = 0.8461 euros)
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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