Image Credit: Davyd Kopych / Getty 
A German woman is at the center of the latest controversy over the country’s tightening grip on online speech, as prosecutors seek to fine her €1,800 ($2,110) for reacting with emojis to a social media post.
The case highlights how even the most minimal forms of digital expression are now being scrutinized under Germany’s expansive interpretation of criminal law.
The 64-year-old from Lohfelden, Hesse, found herself under investigation after responding with three thumbs-up emojis beneath a post on X.
The original post reported on a 15-year-old Swedish girl who had killed the migrant man who raped her, and included the comment, “Does he now have 77 virgins?”
According to the Kassel public prosecutor’s office, the woman’s emoji reaction amounted to endorsing the killing and expressing satisfaction that it had targeted a migrant.
Months after her October 26 interaction, she received a formal penalty notice, ordering her to pay 60 daily rates of €30 each.
The fine, totaling €1,800, was confirmed by the prosecution when contacted by Apollo News.
The penalty order, parts of which the woman has shared publicly, alleges: “You agreed with this post as a user (…) by clicking ‘thumbs up’ three times. You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism, and you were particularly pleased that this vigilantism was perpetrated against a migrant.”
Authorities also claim she adopted the “77 virgins” remark to ridicule the dead rapist.
This interpretation of her emoji use, entirely shaped by the prosecutor’s reading of intent, reflects a growing trend of criminalizing expressions of opinion online.
The woman retains the right to appeal, and if she does, the case will proceed to a full trial.
Germany’s crackdown on digital speech has seen several such incidents in recent years.
Authorities have increasingly targeted individuals for online posts deemed offensive, including under Section 188 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits insults against politicians.
One notable case involved a police search of a retiree’s home after he shared a meme labeling Economy Minister Robert Habeck a “Schwachkopf.”
What began as an online reaction to a controversial news item has now escalated into a legal battle, illustrating the extent to which German authorities are willing to police speech; even down to the level of emojis.
