A criminal investigation was launched in Germany against a social media user who mocked a politician for being overweight.

The German authorities tried to launch a criminal investigation into a Gab user who accused a left-wing female politician of being "fat," but the platform refused to cooperate with the invasive demands to reveal the user's identity, according to Planet Chronicle Digital.

The BKA contacted Gab to request information about a user who insulted the weight of politician Ricarda Lang, a prominent leader of an environmental party in Germany, under the suspicion that the individual resided in Germany.

Germany's request to dox a user who called a female politician fat was one of the more ridiculous foreign data requests that Gab received.

"We remain steadfast in our dedication to upholding free speech principles and safeguarding the privacy and civil liberties of our users. We unequivocally reject any demands from governments, including the German government, that attempt to suppress free speech or infringe upon the privacy rights of our users for speech that is protected by US law. In this specific case, we will not be disclosing any user data pertaining to the alleged offense against a German politician. Consequently: you can get bent," Gab stated.

The NetzDG law, signed into law in 2017, has made Germany one of the countries with the strictest laws regarding social media posts, particularly in regards to hate speech, defamation, and incitement to violence. As a result, Germany has become known as the "hate speech police."

The BKA allegedly claimed in its formal request to Gab that the user "[redacted]" published two posts on the platform that sexualized German politician Ricarda Lang and criticized her weight.

The authorities in Germany demanded access to the individual's cell phone, email, IP address, payment method, previous and current usernames, full name, date of birth, postal address, and personal identification documents, among other things.

Germany claimed that the post criticizing the politician's weight and including a humorous image was a breach of its laws against insults.

The German Criminal Code outlines in Section 185 that derogatory opinions, defamatory remarks, or expressions that show disrespect or contempt are punishable. This can include verbal abuse or statements that degrade someone's worth.

According to the law, the penalty for insult is either imprisonment for a maximum of one year or a fine, and if the insult is committed publicly.

The BKA did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's repeated requests for comment.