The state of Hesse is reorganizing its reporting center “HessengegenHetze.” Going forward, only cases with a Hessen connection will be processed, the Hessian Ministry of the Interior announced. “With this realignment we are focusing on Hessen and on advising those affected. At the same time we protect freedom of expression and prevent abuse,” said Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU). “We also want to avoid duplicative structures with police and prosecutors.”
The reporting center, founded in 2020, allows citizens to report cases of hate and hate speech online. An evaluation on the five-year anniversary found that the previous broad orientation and catalog of tasks were no longer timely, the ministry said.
Approximately 93 percent of incoming reports have no identifiable link to Hessen, according to the ministry, and will no longer be accepted. About eleven percent of the tips come from those affected who want to file criminal charges, for example for insult or threats; these reports will also no longer be accepted.
Currently, all reporters receive a response about the examination result. In the future, this feedback will be omitted for pseudonymous reports. Upon request, the center will advise those affected and refer them to counseling services, which, in the future, should already be indicated on the reporting form. To illustrate the new mandate, the center will be renamed “Anlauf- und Beratungsstelle bei Hass und Hetze im Netz” (the First Point of Contact and Counseling Center for Hate and Hate Speech Online).
“The new freedoms will be used to provide better support for victims,” Poseck explained. They are often unsure, have concrete worries and concerns, for example about deleting content online. The goal is to avoid sprawling activities and duplicative structures and to create a tangible added value for people in Hessen. The experiences with the new center should be carefully evaluated, Poseck said.
“Our reporting center is not a playground for activists, but a safe space for real victims,” emphasized Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein. “We clearly distinguish between freedom of expression, which can require us to tolerate some things, and the legitimate demand for protection from gross hate, threats, and hate-filled slogans on the internet,” the CDU politician stated. “Our course is clear: protection for victims, stop abuse, a clear focus on Hessen.”
Since the center’s founding five years ago, the number of tips has risen from around 2,000 to 37,000 per year, according to the ministry. About 85,000 items have been received since 2020, including many clearly prosecutable posts, Poseck explained. “Let me stress at this point that the reporting center only performs an initial assessment, but does not decide on the criminal classification. That lies with the prosecutors’ offices of the respective state,” the minister emphasized.
