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“Open your eyes! " How to report criminal content to the German Hotline “Internet-Beschwerdestelle”

You see an inciting comment online or a picture that is not suitable for minors and are unsure what to do? One click is enough to prevent hatred, violence or other criminal content on the Internet from simply accepting. The German Hotline “Internet-Beschwerdestelle” helps quickly and easily. Learn how to report content and what happens to incoming complaints.

"Open your eyes!" - with the new spot of the #NoHateSpeech campaign, Telekom is calling for more solidarity, social cohesion and civil moral courage. The message: We all have to look and we can all do something. But what exactly? One way to protect yourself and others is to report problematic content. The German Hotline “Internet-Beschwerdestelle” is therefore a partner of Telekom's campaign and an important player in the protection of minors and the fight against illegal content on the Internet.

A desk with various computers and people operating them and talking to each other.

Experts review incoming complaints about illegal content online. © Deutsche Telekom

Here's how you can report a complaint to the German Hotline “Internet-Beschwerdestelle”:

1. Report content

You come across content online that shocks you, such as hateful comments, violent videos, or depictions of sexual abuse of minors. You can use the online forms of the Internet Complaints Office to report content on the Internet easily, free of charge, of course. In addition to social media, this also includes video platforms such as YouTube, websites, forums, online shops and messenger groups, as long as they are publicly accessible. Content in closed chats or chat groups in messenger channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Snapchat, on the other hand, cannot be checked. 

In order for your complaint to be processed, you will need the link to the content you want to report. In social media apps, you can usually find it via the "share" function and select "Copy link". Simply paste this link into the reporting form and the first step is done.

Click here to go directly to the website of the Internet-Beschwerdestelle.

2. What happens next with your complaint

Every report is reviewed by specially trained experts from eco - Association of the Internet Industry or the German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers (FSM). The portal www.internet-beschwerdestelle.de is a common point of contact for both organizations. 

With a view to the protection of minors in the media, the experts check whether the reported content violates applicable law. Because not everything that is tasteless or offensive is automatically inadmissible or punishable. In many cases, the right to freedom of expression prevails. 

3. Cooperation with authorities and platforms

If there is a criminally relevant violation, action is taken immediately. The complaints office informs the hosting provider or platform operator so that it removes the content. In particularly serious cases, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is also informed or information is forwarded to the responsible authorities abroad via INHOPE, the international network for complaints offices.
    
In the event of violations of regulations on the protection of minors in the media, the complaints office also informs hosting providers or platform operators and points out to them that they must remove this content or make it inaccessible to children and young people.

Reporting has an impact - this is how many reports were received in 2024

More than 25,500 complaints were filed with the FSM in 2024 (FSM statistics). In 68 percent of the cases, the content was found to be in breach of German youth media protection laws. The majority of these substantiated complaints concerned pornographic content that was also freely accessible to children and adolescents.

The eco Association received about the same number of reports. Of these, 10,922 complaints turned out to be justified. Almost all of this content (98.99 percent) was removed after the tip or blocked by an age verification system for minors.

Why your report is important 

Deutsche Telekom is a member of both the eco Association and the FSM. Gabriele Schmeichel, Telekom's youth protection officer, is also involved in the FSM as president of the board. She very much welcomes Deutsche Telekom's commitment to combating hate on the Internet, especially with regard to young people: 

"Children and young people need protection from hatred, agitation and content that glorifies violence. As adults, we have a special responsibility and must not close our eyes when we come across problematic content on the Internet. Children and young people are often unprotected on the Internet. This makes it all the more important to take a look and become active."

The Internet Complaints Office can only do its work if content is reported. Reporting is an important contribution to the protection of minors and to better online interaction. Gabriele Schmeichel therefore appeals: "Report instead of looking away! Every single message helps to make the digital world a little safer."

#TAKEPART in fighting for a network without hate

No Hate Speech

Words must not become a weapon. Deutsche Telekom is fighting for a network without hate in which we treat one another respectfully.

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