Hacker News Reader

>just the fact that you should worry about your criminal record is enough to prevent people to even voice ideas

Already happens in Germany: https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/04/16/the-threat-to-fr...

On the other hand, your criminal record matters far less in Germany than it does in the US. Most employers never ask for your record, especially in white collar jobs, and the ones that do usually only look for relevant offenses. If you are convicted for fraud that will make it harder to get a job as accountant, but an conviction for insulting an official or for drug possession years ago is unlikely to have a major impact.

Obviously you shouldn't be charged for stuff like that (and there was backlash for that incident), but the are less than it might appear to the American reader. Being convicted does not turn you into the scum of society in Germany

Can't unmake the fact that you are convicted criminal forever though.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com