(Bloomberg) -- German police launched multiple raids across the country Wednesday in the latest crackdown on hate speech posted on the Internet and spread in social networks.

Although the number of such postings recorded by the authorities declined by about 8% last year to 2,411, Germany’s federal crime office said that was “no reason to sound the all-clear” as many incidents are not reported.

“Hate and incitement on the Internet endanger our democracy and provide a breeding ground for extremist violence,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in an emailed statement. “We must set clear limits here and force perpetrators out of their supposed anonymity.”

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.