RTL Group | Munich, 06/18/2025

RTL Zwei Continues Campaign Against Online Hate

Subject: Society
Country: Germany
Category: Project

Prominent on-air personalities support awareness campaign – on air and on social media.

Hate speech, defamatory posts, and abusive comments have become ubiquitous online. More and more people are becoming victims of cyberbullying and online threats. In response, RTL Zwei launched a large-scale awareness campaign back in 2021 – and now the initiative is continuing with new content. Many of the network’s familiar faces are once again speaking out against online hate, under the banner of “Hass hat Hausverbot” (“No Place for Hate”).

Digital abuse can affect anyone and cause serious psychological harm. According to a survey by human rights organization Hate Aid, 60 percent of people aged 18 to 27 have already experienced some form of digital abuse. With the campaign “No Place for Hate,” the Munich-based broadcaster says it aims to leverage its wide reach to take a stand and call for action against online abuse.

Community unites against hate

A number of RTL Zwei personalities take a stand against hate speech in new TV trailers. Bold visual headlines set the tone of trailers featuring Arabella Kiesbauer, Sylvie Meis, Panagiota Petridou, the Wollny family, and cast members from “Berlin – Tag & Nacht” taking a stand against hate. The campaign is also being extended across Instagram and Facebook.

“No one should become a target of online abuse. As a media company, we have a particular responsibility here, and we’ve now refreshed the campaign with new content,” says Marco Kunze, Senior Vice President Multichannel Strategy & Marketing at RTL Zwei. “We’re partnering with many of our channel’s personalities to raise awareness, encourage people, and make it clear that hate has no place at RTL Zwei.”

Hate comments are reported to authorities

As part of its anti-hate speech initiative, RTL Zwei continues to actively manage its social media communities. The network joined the “Konsequent gegen Hass” (Standing Strong Against Hate) initiative launched by the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting and the Bavarian Ministry of Justice back in 2021. Hate comments posted on RTL Zwei’s social media accounts are reported directly to the Bavarian judiciary using an online form.