Germany approves plans to fine social media firms up to €50m

Measure requires social media platforms to remove obviously illegal hate speech and other postings within 24 hours of receiving a notification

Social media companies face fines of up to a50m (43m) if they persistently fail to remove illegal content from their sites under a new law passed in Germany

The German parliament on Friday approved the bill aimed at cracking down on hate speech, criminal material and fake news on social networks - but critics warn it could have drastic consequences for free speech online.