The German left-wing group HateAid, which claims to combat “hate on the Internet,” has received around €4.7 million in taxpayer money since 2019. It is owned to 50% by Campact eV, a left-leaning association focused on opposing the Right, according to news outlet NIUS.
While presenting itself as “independent and non-partisan” and talking about protecting “diversity of opinion” on its website, HateAid warns:
BLOCK QUOTE: Right-wing extremists and other enemies of democracy are taking over the Internet. They are trying to deliberately split society through hate and disinformation.
The association has also called for the introduction of a “law against digital violence” that would include “court-ordered account suspensions”—criminalizing online speech.
A report from the federal government, requested by Bundestag member Christoph Ploß (CDU) and reviewed by NIUS, shows that funding for this non-profit has been steady since it started. The Family Ministry and the Ministry of Justice have given thousands for projects like an “Instagram information campaign on dealing with hate speech” (€49,000) and “Addressing hate as a holistic threat: Support for victims at the intersection of physical and digital violence” (€345,000).
In 2023 and 2024, the Justice Ministry allocated €498,000 and €600,000, respectively, for a project titled “Digital violence in a volatile environment: New areas of phenomenon, forms of violence, and affected groups.” This year alone, with additional funding from the Family Ministry for a project called “Living Democracy,” HateAid has received nearly €1.3 million.
HateAid has also backed several left-wing politicians, including two from the Greens and one from the SPD, in pursuing legal action against online comments. The organization declined to comment to NIUS about whether they covered the politicians’ legal costs. Financing litigation, however, is a service promoted by the HateAid website.
HateAid is part of the Competence Network Against Hate Online, which recently published a study called “Loud Hate, Quiet Retreat.” The study aimed to address the dangers of online hate but ended up classifying legitimate opinions as “hate.” During the presentation of the study in February, Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) called for action against “hate” online to occur even “below the threshold of criminality.”
Campact eV, the majority owner of HateAid, is currently topping its website with an appeal titled “Keep AfD out of power,” illustrated by a composite image comparing Thuringia AfD leader Björn Höcke with Adolf Hitler.