Better not send dickpicks via social media!

Many of my blog posts are inspired by social media posts, questions from clients, and the like. Today this includes a topic that I actually have no idea whatsoever what it is, but which I have heard is supposed to improve search engine optimization 😉 Dickpicks!

This or similar content is readily distributed among pupils, students or work colleagues in one way or another via messengers such as Whatsapp. But this can quickly become problematic, because as perhaps few people know, such behavior is punishable by law.

The relevant provision is Section 184 (1) No. 6, which stipulates: “Anyone who allows a pornographic publication to reach another person without being requested to do so by that person shall be liable to a custodial sentence not exceeding one year or to a monetary penalty.”

Who now cheers that Whatsapp is not a “writing”, should read further in § 11 paragraph 3 StGB, because there it is regulated: “The writings are equal to sound and image carriers, data storage media, images and other representations in those provisions that refer to this paragraph.”

We are talking about an offense that, as a rule, is punishable by a fine, which, depending on the intensity, can be in the relevant range of 30 or more daily fines. Discontinuation under Section 153a of the Code of Criminal Procedure, for example in the case of a first offense, can also be carried out in return for a fine.

By the way, the standard is independent of whether they are self-created images or those that simply come from the Internet. The norm is also independent of the age of the recipient, so the norm is also realized by sending to adults. The facts of the case will also be realized in the context of a – in my opinion unsuitable – flirting attempt or through activities towards Tinder acquaintances and the like.

In addition to the consequences under criminal law, further problem areas under labor law or school law are also conceivable, depending on the constellation.

Author: Marian Härtel

Marian Härtel ist Rechtsanwalt und Fachanwalt für IT-Recht mit einer über 25-jährigen Erfahrung als Unternehmer und Berater in den Bereichen Games, E-Sport, Blockchain, SaaS und Künstliche Intelligenz. Seine Beratungsschwerpunkte umfassen neben dem IT-Recht insbesondere das Urheberrecht, Medienrecht sowie Wettbewerbsrecht. Er betreut schwerpunktmäßig Start-ups, Agenturen und Influencer, die er in strategischen Fragen, komplexen Vertragsangelegenheiten sowie bei Investitionsprojekten begleitet. Dabei zeichnet sich seine Beratung durch einen interdisziplinären Ansatz aus, der juristische Expertise und langjährige unternehmerische Erfahrung miteinander verbindet. Ziel seiner Tätigkeit ist stets, Mandanten praxisorientierte Lösungen anzubieten und rechtlich fundierte Unterstützung bei der Umsetzung innovativer Geschäftsmodelle zu gewährleisten.