Authorities in Germany have begun conducting nationwide raids against citizens who are suspected of posting “hate messages” on social media websites.
Police have raided the homes of 40 people so far, mostly on suspicion of posting right-wing views.
ABC News reports:
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German law restricts free speech if it includes incitement to violence, glorifying Nazism, racial discrimination or Holocaust denial.
Enforcement of the law has been tested in recent years by a rise in online hate speech, often posted anonymously.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement Wednesday that the law must apply on the internet too.
His office noted that activists who campaign against far-right extremism and migrants are particularly frequent targets of online hate speech.