Facebook opens office in Germany to combat online hate speech

ESSEN, GERMANY » Facebook is adding 500 more contractors in Germany to review content posted to the socialmedia site, after a new law came into force targeting online hate speech.

The company says the staff will work for a service provider called CCC at a new office in the western city of Essen that was formally opened Thursday.

German lawmakers approved a bill in June that could see social networking sites fined up to 50 million euros ($59 million) if they persistently fail to remove illegal content within a week.

Critics say the law could force Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to decide what is legal or not.

Together with an existing office in Berlin, Facebook will havemore than 1,200 people reviewing posts in Germany by the end of the year.

MARTIN MEISSNER — ASSOCIATED PRESS Employees of the Competence Call Center work for Facebook in Essen, Germany. About 500 people control and delete Facebook content if it does not meet the company’s guidelines.