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Twitter Suspends Neo-Nazi Account in Germany

It's the first time Twitter has used its new censorship policy

By Liam Carnahan,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 18, 2012 12:35 PM CDT

(Newser) – Twitter has blocked the account of a German neo-Nazi group known as Besseres Hannover, prompted by a request from Berlin. Their tweets will still be visible in other countries, but not within Germany, reports the BBC. The move is the first time Twitter has enacted its local-censorship policy, which it rolled out in January. A Twitter rep announced the decision (via Twitter) along with a link to a letter from German feds urging them to close the accounts of the now-disbanded group. "Never want to withhold content; good to have tools to do it narrowly and transparently," the tweet read.

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2012 file picture a police officers shows a confiscated Nazi flag at a press conference in Hanover, Germany after it was found at the Nazi group Besseres Hannover.
FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2012 file picture a police officers shows a confiscated Nazi flag at a press conference in Hanover, Germany after it was found at the Nazi group "Besseres Hannover.   (AP Photo/dapd/ Alexander Koerner/Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitunung, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 23 comments
lettereyemedia
Oct 19, 2012 1:38 PM CDT
Neo-Nazi groups scare me to death, but I don't thinking limiting speech is ever the right thing to do, no matter what that person is saying.   This really shocks me that Twitter would do this considering all the other millions of tweets that promotes hate or violence with regards to race or sex or whatever the flavor of the week.  To target one crowd seems like a big mistake in my mind, it seems like Twitter is just asking for more problems by handling it this way.  Hopefully they take all this commenting into consideration and rethink it. Also surprising to me that an American-based company would limit free speech.
Tology
Oct 19, 2012 10:27 AM CDT
They should suspend the accounts of the neo-Nazi  group that is leading Israel too.
roadhog
Oct 18, 2012 4:09 PM CDT
What do any of us have to fear from speech?

 
Germany • Neo-Nazi • Internet censorship • Twitter

 
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