So Done Legal, incorporated in Rheine in 2022, presents itself as a highly specialized firm for criminal prosecution of online hate speech and civil defamation actions. Managing directors are attorney Alexander Brockmeier, former FDP state legislator, and Franziska Brandmann, federal chair of the Young Liberals. The portal invites victims to upload abusive posts; an AI filter flags criminally relevant content (a practice critics understand as legally questionable itself), after which lawyers demand deletion, a signed cease-and-desist undertaking and monetary damages. Targets that ignore the letter face immediate suit. Published case notes include a €3,200 fine for “Hurensohn” [“son of a bitch”] and €600 for “shut up you ugly woman.” In November 2024 the start-up won €10,000 and third place in the NRW state Gründerpreis competition, its only disclosed external funding.
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SO DONE Legal
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Commentary:
Operated by two FDP functionaries, SO DONE commercializes NetzDG-style private enforcement, turning political reputation into billable litigation under what is perhaps dubious auspices, as formal legal advice is strictly regulated in Germany to qualified attorneys. An AI engine sweeps social platforms, then mass demand letters threaten costs and court, a practice critics describe as chilling dissent. The 2024 NRW award lends official polish yet at €10,000 scarcely funds expansion; the firm discloses no wider budget. "Success" posts showcase modest fines while omitting defendant context or appeals, offering thin evidence of broader deterrence, if that is even desirable against the trade-off of freedom of speech and the expanded capacity of the state to adjudicate what is offensive online. With no published error rates or safeguards against over-blocking, SO DONE risks outsourcing censorship to opaque algorithms while insulating its own metrics from scrutiny. Meanwhile, prominent politicians such as former former vice chancellor Robert Habeck used the firm several time against people accused of insulting him, and promoted the group.
Operated by two FDP functionaries, SO DONE commercializes NetzDG-style private enforcement, turning political reputation into billable litigation under what is perhaps dubious auspices, as formal legal advice is strictly regulated in Germany to qualified attorneys. An AI engine sweeps social platforms, then mass demand letters threaten costs and court, a practice critics describe as chilling dissent. The 2024 NRW award lends official polish yet at €10,000 scarcely funds expansion; the firm discloses no wider budget. "Success" posts showcase modest fines while omitting defendant context or appeals, offering thin evidence of broader deterrence, if that is even desirable against the trade-off of freedom of speech and the expanded capacity of the state to adjudicate what is offensive online. With no published error rates or safeguards against over-blocking, SO DONE risks outsourcing censorship to opaque algorithms while insulating its own metrics from scrutiny. Meanwhile, prominent politicians such as former former vice chancellor Robert Habeck used the firm several time against people accused of insulting him, and promoted the group.
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