Influencers should no longer be able to make money from crimes that are showcased online. The justice ministers of the federal states want to close loopholes in the law in order to prevent this from happening in the future. “Morally, it is at the lowest level when you not only commit a crime, but also boast about it online and earn money from it,” said Lower Saxony’s Justice Minister Kathrin Wahlmann after the autumn conference of the justice departments in Berlin.
There are influencers who have developed such behavior into their business model. As an example, Wahlmann cited posts about illegal car racing, some of which were streamed live on social networks. However, according to the current regulations on the confiscation of assets, the state cannot collect the money paid by internet platforms from those affected. “We want to change that,” said Wahlmann. “There is an urgent need for legislative action here.”
Structures for asset recovery already exist in the countries. Now a broader legal spectrum needs to be created. A working group from the federal and state governments is also dealing with this.
