German police conduct dozens of raids in crackdown on online ‘hate postings’

Authorities in Germany have carried out a nationwide crackdown on what they described as racist and xenophobic postings on the internet and social media which they say have drastically increased since Germany allowed more refugees to enter the country.

The posts reportedly contained “threats, coercion and incitement to racism.”

As reported by CNET, German police raided the homes of 60 people suspected of being behind the postings, which are illegal under German law. The agency confirmed that no arrests were made.

“The still high incidence of punishable hate posting shows a need for police action,” said Holger Münch, the president of the Federal Criminal Police Office. “Our free society must not allow a climate of fear, threat, criminal violence and violence either on the street or on the internet.”

In April, Germany’s cabinet approved more stringent standards that would force social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to regulate fake news and hate speech.

The draft law has urged sites to delete at least 70 percent of inappropriate and illegal posts within 24 hours of them being posted. If they don’t comply, they could face a fine as high as €50 million ($53 million). The draft law is now being debated by German officials.

The number of far-right extremists who authorities believe are capable of committing violent acts jumped to 12,100 in 2016 from 11,800 in 2015, a spokeswoman for the interior ministry said.