Austria: Law to Combat Hate in the Internet with platform content liability adopted

The Law to Combat Hate in the Internet (German: Hass-im-Netz-Bekämpfungs-Gesetz) has been approved by the Federal Council on 17 December 2020, and has therefore been adopted by the Austrian Parliament. The law will enter into force on 1 January 2021. The law will make the owners/operators of electronic communications platforms liable in damages for a number of torts committed using their platforms (Art.9), including: slander and insult, exposure of highly personal information, identifying of private details resulting in falling victim to a crime, and portrayal of a person suspected but not yet convicted of a crime as guilty.