Criminal law on disinformation comprises regulations for sanctioning targeted disruptions to access to information. It is emerging as a new area of law and is becoming increasingly important in the context of digitalisation. There is currently no specific criminal offence for ‘fake news’, but certain forms of disinformation can be prosecuted, for example as defamation or incitement to hatred, if they damage a person’s reputation or endanger public order. In particular, the dissemination of targeted false information via social media poses a challenge that requires sound legal expertise.
