Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Vandals attack Facebook Germany HQ with rocks, paint

-

A group of 15 to 20 people damaged the Germany headquarters of US social media giant Facebook and daubed the message "Facebook Dislike" on its walls, police said Sunday.

The black-clad, masked vandals hurled rocks, paint and smoke bombs at the building, damaging its walls, front door and windows, in the northern port city of Hamburg around 2000 GMT Saturday.

Police and the domestic security service were searching for the attackers, who fled on foot. The motive for the attack and the financial cost of the property damage were not yet known.

Online privacy campaigners have long criticised Facebook, and the company has also drawn fire in Germany for a spike in racist vitriol carried on the network as the country struggle with a record influx of asylum-seekers.

Critics in Germany have charged Facebook cracks down harder on nudity and sexual content than on hate-mongering, while Justice Minister Heiko Maas has warned the social network must not "become a funfair for the far right".

Facebook has said it would encourage "counter speech" and step up monitoring of xenophobic commentary.

A group of 15 to 20 people damaged the Germany headquarters of US social media giant Facebook and daubed the message “Facebook Dislike” on its walls, police said Sunday.

The black-clad, masked vandals hurled rocks, paint and smoke bombs at the building, damaging its walls, front door and windows, in the northern port city of Hamburg around 2000 GMT Saturday.

Police and the domestic security service were searching for the attackers, who fled on foot. The motive for the attack and the financial cost of the property damage were not yet known.

Online privacy campaigners have long criticised Facebook, and the company has also drawn fire in Germany for a spike in racist vitriol carried on the network as the country struggle with a record influx of asylum-seekers.

Critics in Germany have charged Facebook cracks down harder on nudity and sexual content than on hate-mongering, while Justice Minister Heiko Maas has warned the social network must not “become a funfair for the far right”.

Facebook has said it would encourage “counter speech” and step up monitoring of xenophobic commentary.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Tech & Science

The groundbreaking initiative aims to provide job training and confidence to people with autism.

Tech & Science

Microsoft and Google drubbed quarterly earnings expectations.

Entertainment

Steve Carell stars in the title role of "Uncle Vanya" in a new Broadway play ay Lincoln Center.

Business

Catherine Berthet (L) and Naoise Ryan (R) join relatives of people killed in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Boeing 737 MAX crash at a...