German police in Heilbronn launched an investigation against a retired man who commented “Pinocchio is coming to HN” under a police Facebook post announcing a visit by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Baden-Württemberg’s prime minister. The comment included a long-nosed emoji, yet authorities still initiated proceedings under Article 188 of the German Criminal Code, a law introduced in 2021 that criminalizes insults against politicians if they are deemed to hinder their public work and can carry penalties of up to five years in prison.
“When we come across cases of criminal activity during our monitoring of social media, we will file a suit or submit it to the public prosecutor’s office for review,” the police office’s social media team reported. You read that correctly—the police now have social media teams that are in charge of monitoring citizens’ online communications.
The investigation reportedly began after police monitoring of social media posts connected to the official announcement of Merz’s visit, demonstrating a proactive surveillance of public commentary rather than a reaction to a direct complaint. The poster said that his comment was “an ambiguous, symbolic, and satirical expression of opinion in a political context,” and yet, he is being charged as a criminal for likening the chancellor to a fictional character known for telling fables.
Merz recently said that he wants to destroy online anonymity. The government needs the ability to monitor every user in real-time. Western civilization is no better than traditional dictatorships that force civilians to live in fear of speaking out. Criticizing the “king” could result in criminal charges. Authoritarian control cannot tolerate free speech. We will see governments increasing their crackdown on any perceived dissent, increasing surveillance measures to ensure the masses do not question authority.