German Court Reduces Fine Against Meta for Delayed Post Removal

The Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Frankfurt has substantially lowered a fine imposed on Meta, the parent company of Facebook, for its delayed removal of defamatory posts. The original fine of 100,000 euros has been reduced to 75,000 euros.

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The degree of culpability and the impact of the inaction did not justify a higher assessment.

The court stated that the degree of Meta's culpability and the impact of its inaction did not warrant the higher penalty. The OLG noted that the posts in question were several months old and had consequently sunk lower in users' timelines, diminishing the expectation of widespread reach.

Unlike the lower court, the OLG did not consider Meta's actions to be intentional. However, it did find Meta to be grossly negligent, as the company failed to adequately explain the reasons for the extensive delay in removing the content. The court found that the posts, which falsely accused a soldier deployed in the Gaza Strip of being a war criminal and included his name and photograph, were not removed until April 8 and 10, despite a court order on March 23, 2026, prohibiting their publication.

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A large reach could no longer be expected.

The decision by the OLG is final and cannot be appealed. The case highlights ongoing challenges in holding social media platforms accountable for the rapid and effective removal of harmful content.

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Meta did not explain why the deletion took so long.