We're here today to defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it is faced in American history.

Frankly, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden want to take away the U.

S.

Law that protects platforms from being liable for what their users post.

Donald Trump wants to repeal it.

To reduce censorship.

Joe Biden wants to get rid of it, to compel companies into doing mawr to tackle harmful content.

Whoever wins the presidency, it seems, changes coming to social media in the US Elsewhere, lawmakers around the world are also trying to grapple with the issue of hate speech and harmful content.

Increasingly, many are looking here for answers.

Germany It's been nearly three years since a pioneering new law was passed here in Germany to regulate social media.

It's called the Net Effect Cassettes or Next e G for short on Many countries around the world have seen it as a benchmark for tackling something they are all trying to deal with hate speech and fake news on social media, according to Danish human rights think tank Justicia.

At least 25 countries around the globe, including the UK, have discussed or even adopted regulation models similar to next e G.

But has next e G actually made a difference?

Firstly, let's look at why it was introduced.

It all started with the migrant crisis in 2015 Germany, Germany a chance Europe's new land of opportunity Germany opened its doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The following month saw an increase in anti immigrant hate speech online, so the German government brought in this strict regulation.

The three main principles of this law is any social network with two million or more users must provide an easy to use mechanism so people can report content that they find offensive.

The social networks must also delete anything that's obviously illegal within 24 hours, or face a maximum £45 million fine on.

They must provide every six months a transparency report which details any harmful content they find on their services literally.

Within three days, it's effects were felt.

Yeah, Hitler.

He's on a lot off Titanic magazines.

Titanic magazine is Germany's biggest satirical publication.

They were the first victims of next e G.

When they got suspended from Twitter after posting some spoof racist tweets mocking a right wing politician.

Twitter, in this case, thought that this is racist.

I mean, it is off course it's racist because we're a satirical magazine and we're just We're just quoting what she what she already had said.

The move sparked outcry.

Critics said that this showed that so called over blocking was happening where social networks played it safe and removed lots of content to avoid fines.

But Titanic did get its account back within a couple of days on.

Actually, Moritz and his team say next E G has generally been positive.

It hasn't affected Teutonic very much since then.

I think next e G is in its core is not bad.

According to a new independent report commissioned by the German government, the law has broadly made a positive difference.

The Nets D G evaluation found no evidence that social networks over blocked contact.

Researchers found that although some items needed more time to be analyzed, social networks had taken action on most within 24 hours.

Only one fine has so far been issued.

Facebook had to pay two million euros for under reporting the amount of hate speech on its platform.

But has there been any trickle down effect to make social networks generally safer and nicer for everyday users?

Verena is an influencer, she says.

The majority of her online life is positive.

But if next e G was meant to reduce nastiness online, it hasn't worked.

Get a lot of head comments like People say that I look like a whale or I am liken elephants.

Have you noticed a difference between 2018?

When next E.

G came in on?

Now, maybe maybe on Facebook, but not on Instagram and not take It was a process to be here right now to be cool with myself and to be strong and self confidence.

Critics of next e G, including the social networks themselves, argue it's too strict on is harming free speech in Germany.

On there are concerns the law is being used as a template for censorship in other less free countries, like Turkey, which recently passed a similar law.

According to Justice, he is analysis eight of the 25 countries considering Nets DJ like laws, A class is having an Internet that's not free on a further 12 a class, there's only partly free.

It's a trend that's troubling German lawmakers.

If there is no freedom of speech anyway in your country, all this restricted, then off course.

Yes, a next e G would help you to do the same restriction or free opinion on this is what we would not share.

Later this month, Facebook will launch its oversight board, nicknamed the Supreme Court for Moderating Content.

Its board will assess the decisions of both Facebook and Instagram, but it's still up to each country to set its own laws on.

Whilst many have looked to Germany for answers soon, all eyes may turn here.