Andrew Torba, CEO of the social media platform Gab, recently claimed that German authorities have demanded access to user data in response to a politician being insulted online. The incident revolves around posts that allegedly mocked the appearance and weight of Ricarda Lang, a German politician, which authorities say violated “section 185 of the German criminal code” by attacking her “honor” and disrespecting her.
Lang, who is the first openly bisexual member of the German parliament, was reportedly the target of two posts that German authorities claim were sexualized and derogatory. Section 185 of the German criminal code deals with defamation and insult, a law that German officials are citing in their request for user information from Gab.
In a letter from the Bundeskriminalamt (German federal police), they stated that the posts were written in German, leading them to believe that the user resides in Germany. The authorities are requesting a wide range of data, including the user’s full name, date of birth, email addresses, phone numbers, postal addresses, payment methods, and proof of address.
Torba’s response to the situation suggests skepticism towards the request, framing it as an overreach by German authorities in response to a user merely “telling the truth.”
