Strike force police team against social media hate speech takes off: Dozens of stories, suspects all over Finland
The team attempts to tame hate speech. More than 50 stories have been under investigation of which so far one fifth reached has led to possible prosecution.
Helsinki Police Department began the network in March, which lacked of a nationwide police investigation team of the internet. The group has not been bored: pre-trial investigation has already had a total of about fifty cases, and most of the investigations are is still ongoing.
– More than ten cases has proceeded to consideration of charges, says police inspector Jonna Turunen of the Helsinki Police Department.
In the majority of the investigations involves cases of suspected ethnic agitation. They are insults and threats, above all, on the basis of ethnic origin.
Some have even incited violence against Muslims and immigrants.
In other cases it is suspected defamation, breaches of the peace, and I believe illegal threats.
Turunen says that the alleged hate speech is found on Facebook, YouTube and the online publications of comment sections.
YLE (in Finnish)