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Which insurance helps with cyberbullying and online defamation in Germany?

In short

Which insurance helps with cyberbullying and online defamation in Germany? Mainly private cyber insurance with legal cover, which pays a lawyer and content removal. In a consumer test such plans cost EUR 127 to 149 a year. Ordinary legal expenses insurance often limits cases about personal rights. Reporting to the police and asking the platform to delete costs you nothing.

Which insurance helps with cyberbullying and online defamation in Germany?

What it costs

Premiums and costs around cyberbullying in Germany.

ExampleTypical range
Private cyber insurance, all tested plans, one personabout EUR 7 to 212 a year
Cyber insurance with legal coverabout EUR 127 to 149 a year
Legal expenses insurance, private module onlyfrom about EUR 69 a year
First consultation with a lawyer without insuranceat most EUR 190 plus VAT

As of October 2026.

Cyber prices from a 2024 consumer test, legal expenses prices from 2026 calculation examples,

the cap for a first consultation from Section 34 of the Lawyers' Fees Act.

How far legal plans cover personal rights and the amounts in the example are guide values from our

quoting practice.

Worked example

False claims about a teacher

A former acquaintance spreads lies about a teacher in a group with 400 members. She has a warning letter sent and sues for an injunction.

Lawyer for warning letter and injunctionabout EUR 1,000 to 1,500
Court case if neededabout EUR 2,000 to 4,000
Cyber insurance with legal coveraround EUR 140 a year

With legal cover in her cyber plan she only pays the premium. Without it she carries the cost risk until the offender is ordered to pay and can pay.

Which insurance pays for cyberbullying

Private cyber policies help with cyberbullying in two ways: a service provider tries to have hurtful content removed, and plans with legal cover pay a lawyer up to court. Without the legal module, help is often thin.

Classic legal expenses insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung) is no substitute. Many terms exclude action over personal rights or only pay for advice. Check whether injunctions and removal are named.

PolicyHelps with cyberbullyingLimit
Cyber policy with legal coverlawyer, court, removal helpoften only for online incidents
Cyber policy without legal coverremoval help, adviceno lawyer in court
Legal expenses insurancepartly advicepersonal rights often excluded
Personal liabilityonly if you are accusedno help for victims

What is a criminal offence in online defamation

Insult, defamation and malicious falsehood are offences under Sections 185 to 187 of the Criminal Code (StGB), with higher penalties when spread online. Repeated unwanted contact, spreading images or posting degrading content in your name can be stalking under Section 238.

A criminal complaint is free and can be filed online. It brings no money and deletes nothing. For removal, injunctions and damages you need civil action, which costs lawyer and court fees.

What you can do right away

Save evidence with screenshots showing date, web address and profile name before you report anything. Then report the content through the platform's reporting tool.

If children are affected, involve the school first, and the police if there are threats. Insurance does not replace support for the person affected; it only pays for the legal side.

When a cyberbullying policy is not worth it

If you hardly use social media, you do not need separate protection. For a single case a first consultation with a lawyer is often cheaper than years of premiums.

A case that has already started cannot be insured. Cyber insurance against online defamation only pays for incidents after the start date, often after a waiting period.

Step by step

  1. Save evidence with date and web address.
  2. Report the content to the platform.
  3. File a criminal complaint for threats or images.
  4. Call your insurer and request removal help if covered.
  5. Have a lawyer demand an injunction.

Checklist

  • Cyber plan with legal cover, not just removal help
  • Injunctions and removal explicitly covered
  • Family included if children are online
  • Waiting period and limit per case known
  • Psychological first aid in the plan checked

Common mistakes

  • Deleting posts or blocking the offender before saving evidence
  • Assuming ordinary legal expenses insurance is enough
  • Hitting back publicly and risking your own liability

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is cyberbullying a crime in Germany?

There is no single offence, but insult, defamation, malicious falsehood and stalking are crimes.

Does household contents insurance help with cyberbullying?

Some household policies pay for phishing.

Whether they pay a lawyer or removal for bullying is in the terms.

Does the insurance guarantee removal?

No.

The service providers try, but there is no guarantee of success.

Does the insurance also help my child?

If the plan covers the family, yes.

Check legal cover for minors.

Will I get money from the offender?

Only if a court awards it and the offender can pay.

That depends heavily on the case.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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Related questions

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated

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