German anti-terror law affects online forums?

[CaptainPanic]

BERLIN --

The German parliament has adopted a controversial new anti-terrorism law. In the deciding vote in the Bundesrat also Baden-Württemberg (where the liberal FDP is in government) voted in favor.

 

In the Bundestag, the FDP has voted against, like all other opposition parties. The law is controversial because preparatory acts with the intention to commit terrorist acts are punishable.

 

A person who follows a terrorist training in a camp in Pakistan can now receive up to ten years in prison. The distribution of manuals for building bombs and the inclusion of contact with terrorist organizations is punishable.

 

The new law also prohibits the purchase of material with the intention of attacks with radioactive or toxic substances. (source in Dutch - you'll have to Google translate it)

 

The underlined part affects us here on SFN. Most are not living in Germany, but I still wish to explain why:

 

Often, people ask about explosives and other dangerous substances, usually on the chemistry forums. The way the German law is explained in the Dutch newspaper suggests that answering such questions is punishable.

 

It's highly unlikely that the person answering will be prosecuted... we don't have manuals to build bombs. But often, the preparation of explosive material is one of the hardest parts of building a bomb... and these things are asked (but not always answered).

 

I think that the days of free information about anything you want on the internet are coming to an end when laws like this are enforced. I think it's good to know that such laws exist in some countries (and perhaps in more countries than just Germany).

[Daecon]

Would that include making your own fireworks for 5th November or 4th July?

[insane_alien]

would it also include highschool chemistry textbooks? there is sufficient information in those to construct an IED.

 

while it does not explicitly give all the information in one continuous section, it would only require putting the appropriate sections together to have all the required knowledge.

[SH3RL0CK]

How about old movies? I remember a Star Trek (original air date circa 1968) episode giving the formula for gunpower.

[Sisyphus]

It would probably be safest if we just forbade teaching people to read.

[calbiterol]

Would that include making your own fireworks for 5th November or 4th July?

 

Well in Germany that doesn't really matter; fireworks are illegal there anyways.

[Pangloss]

How about old movies? I remember a Star Trek (original air date circa 1968) episode giving the formula for gunpower.

 

In the newly approved version he seeks to kill the Gorn using bamboo, diamonds, and salted Peeps.

[CharonY]

Somewhat bad news. However according to the law apparently it is necessary to prove that the preparations were done with an act of terrorism in mind. So if you download manuals for building bombs and they can prove or have at least circumstantial evidence that they were not out of curiosity but with a specific target in mind, you may get imprisoned (up to three years). Likewise if you distribute manuals in a situation, in which there is somehow a connection to an act of terrorism you may get imprisoned.

 

An example: if in a forum someone states that XXX should be bombed and then someone posts a instruction for building bombs, this may fall under the law. If you talk about explosive things in an educational context, however, it is OK. In truth I wonder how they want to enforce this law properly. It is a bit like the forms in the US in which you have to state whether you are a member of a terroristic organization. You would only get the stupid ones (who probably would have trouble following instructions anyhow). Overall I feel that it falls under the stupid panic induced laws.