Human Rights

Human Rights and Pro Bono

Our team in Germany is involved in numerous pro bono cases, as illustrated below.

Protection against large digital platforms

In cooperation with the Society for Civil Rights (GFF), we are conducting proceedings for non-profit associations and NGOs enabling them to seek justice against large digital platforms.

In the Goliathwatch case, we assisted a Hamburg-based association critical of BigTech to reverse the arbitrary suspension of its Facebook page in preliminary injunction proceedings before the Hamburg Higher Regional Court (see here).

We also represented Filmwerkstatt Düsseldorf in proceedings against META after META suspended Filmwerkstatt's Facebook page without cause or justification. After the Regional Court of Düsseldorf ruled in favor of Filmwerkstatt, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf upheld the decision in a landmark ruling (see here).

Transparency in the public sector

We conduct various proceedings to improve transparency in the public sector, particularly in areas where the state cooperates with large private companies. For example, we represented the Society for Civil Rights (GFF) in proceedings before the Hamburg Administrative Court against the Hamburg Transport Company to strengthen freedom of information vis-à-vis privately organized public companies.

In another case, we are demanding that the German Weather Service (DWD) disclose the specifications underlying the so-called bee flight forecast and the algorithm used. The underlying rationale of the case is that an authority must not be allowed to blindly rely on an algorithm that has been written once. Instead, it must be transparent on how an authority reached its decision.

Corporate Responsibility

Hausfeld filed a complaint with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) on behalf of the non-governmental organization ClientEarth to take action against a major German energy supplier for possible market manipulation in connection with the planned clearing of the Hambach Forest.

For our additional human rights and pro bono expertise in:

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