Borussia Dortmund are part of the newly founded project ""Who hates, loses!". All clubs in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 from North Rhine-Westphalia have teamed up with the North Rhine-Westphalia Cybercrime Centre (ZAC NRW) in a commitment to combat criminal hate and discrimination on the internet.

The project was launched in December 2023 by VfL Bochum 1848 GmbH & Co. KGaA and the ZAC NRW. Following joint meetings and training sessions between the clubs and the public prosecutor's office, the first public discussions on the project took place on Tuesday at the Ruhrstadion. The project, its objectives and practical examples were presented in several panels and presentations.

Solutions to this problem were discussed and examples from the everyday experiences of Bundesliga clubs were shared. BVB were represented by in-house lawyer Kristina Rothenberger from the legal department, who gave a presentation on Borussia Dortmund's commitment to combating hate speech online. She also provided insights into the first few months of work on the newly launched project.

In cooperation with the ZAC NRW, the clubs can now take even more targeted action against hate speech on the internet. If comments or messages on the internet go beyong the limits of free expressions of opinion, the clubs can report them via a digital system. The aim is to prosecute criminal hate speech and track down the authors of racist, anti-Semitic or highly offensive comments.

The experts at ZAC NRW review the reported incidents for criminal relevance, initiate investigations and, together with partners from the police, identify the suspects responsible for the comments.

By participating in the digital project "Who hates, loses!", Borussia Dortmund are making an emphatic statement against all forms of discrimination and, in cooperation with all DFL clubs in NRW, are taking strong action in the fight against criminal content on the internet.
Photos: VfL Bochum 1848/Jan Aben