U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance did not exaggerate at the Munich Security Conference, when he said that the EU is retreating from fundamental values. According to an Aug. 14, 2024 Tagesschau report, as of April 2023 German Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck had initiated more than 700 legal actions against individuals who insulted him or had allegedly threatened him online. Tagesschau bases its article on reports from Die Welt.
It is reported that Habeck was helped by an organization called HateAid, founded by Danish citizens Anders Leifer and Mads Vestergaard, but based in Germany, primarily financed through private and public grants, with significant support from groups such as the Alfred Landecker Foundation (ALF) and Campact e.V. ALF is chaired by Peter Harf, who is CEO of Jab Holding Company, based in Berlin.
HateAid declares it was started in 2018 to combat online harassment and to support victims of cyberbullying. In 2024, Airbnb’s Community Fund provided financial support to HateAid, “to help promote our efforts against digital hate on the internet—especially hate directed at persons read as women.” HateAid has received public funding from various German governmental bodies, including the Family and Justice Ministries and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program.
The EU Commission does provide financial support to national authorities and civil society organizations working on hate speech and hate crime, through programs like the Citizens Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program. It is not known whether HateAid has received funds from USAID, directly or indirectly.
