Hatred on the net has reached unbearable proportions. With the Platform Act, the legislator is doing many things right. But the “milestone” for more online protection still has a few edges.Germany has one, France wanted one, Turkey and Brazil are working on one right now – and Austria has pushed forward with one: it is all about a law that makes platforms more responsible for online hatred and imposes transparency obligations on them. The draft of the Communication Platforms Act (KoPl-G) was notified to the Commission this week.First of all: With regard to victim protection, the legislative package against hate on the net is exactly what Minister for Women’s Affairs Susanne Raab (ÖVP) calls it: a milestone. The protection of victims from threats and degradation is of great importance. This is achieved by better protection against hate speech, aggravation of the offence of incitement to hatred, faster defense against cyberbullying and the prohibition of “upskirting”. However, the Communication Platforms Act (KoPl-G) still has certain edges.
