The Reading / Listening - Hate Speech - Level 4

Social media sites in Germany could be fined $50 million for removing illegal content too slowly. The government is cracking down on illegal posts, including hate speech, slander and fake news. A proposed new law would give sites seven days to delete illegal content, or get a big fine. They would have to delete "clearly criminal" content within 24 hours. Germany's justice minister said Twitter deletes only 1% of the hate speech it is told about.

The minister said the fines were necessary due to worries about the influence social media is having on public opinion. He said the biggest problems were social networks not taking users' complaints seriously enough and comments being deleted too slowly, or not at all. The minister wants sites to set up a complaints team that works 24/7. A digital organization said the 24-hour deadline for sites that get a billion posts per day was "utterly impossible".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hate Speech - Level 5 or  Hate Speech - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39269535
  • http://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-force-facebook-twitter-to-delete-hate-speech/a-37927085
  • https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/14/facebook-twitter-still-failing-on-hate-speech-in-germany/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. cracking
  2. hate speech, slander
  3. A proposed new
  4. seven days to
  5. get a big
  6. delete "clearly criminal"
  7. Germany's justice
  8. 1% of the
  1. fine
  2. law
  3. hate speech it is told about
  4. and fake news
  5. minister
  6. down on illegal posts
  7. delete illegal content
  8. content within 24 hours

Paragraph 2

  1. The minister said the fines
  2. the influence social media is having
  3. not taking users' complaints
  4. comments being deleted too slowly,
  5. set up a complaints team that
  6. 24-hour
  7. sites that get a billion
  8. utterly
  1. posts per day
  2. works 24/7
  3. on public opinion
  4. impossible
  5. were necessary
  6. seriously enough
  7. deadline
  8. or not at all

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Social media sites in Germany (1) ___________________ $50 million for removing illegal content too slowly. The government is (2) ___________________ illegal posts, including hate speech, slander (3) ___________________. A proposed new law would give sites seven days to delete illegal content, (4) ___________________. They would have to delete "clearly criminal" content (5) ___________________. Germany's justice minister said Twitter deletes only 1% of the hate speech (6) ___________________.

The minister said the fines were (7) ___________________ worries about the influence social media is (8) ___________________ opinion. He said the biggest problems were social networks not taking users' (9) ___________________ enough and comments being deleted too slowly, (10) ___________________. The minister wants sites to (11) ___________________ team that works 24/7. A digital organization said the 24-hour deadline for sites that get a billion (12) ___________________ "utterly impossible".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SocialmediasitesinGermanycouldbefined$50millionforremovingille
galcontenttooslowly.Thegovernmentiscrackingdownonillegalposts,i
ncludinghatespeech,slanderandfakenews.Aproposednewlawwould
givesitessevendaystodeleteillegalcontent,orgetabigfine.Theywould
havetodelete"clearlycriminal"contentwithin24hours.Germany'sjust
iceministersaidTwitterdeletesonly1%ofthehatespeechitistoldabout.
Theministersaidthefineswerenecessaryduetoworriesabouttheinflue
ncesocialmediaishavingonpublicopinion.Hesaidthebiggestproblems
weresocialnetworksnottakingusers'complaintsseriouslyenoughand
commentsbeingdeletedtooslowly,ornotatall.Theministerwantssites
tosetupacomplaintsteamthatworks24/7.Adigitalorganizationsaidth
e24-hourdeadlineforsitesthatgetabillionpostsperdaywas"utterlyim
possible".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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