Germany has threatened to crack down on the fake news scandal plaguing Facebook by levying hefty fines for posts that aren't removed immediately amid mounting fears that disinformation could influence the country's upcoming elections.

The head of Germany's second-biggest political party has suggested Facebook could face fines of up to €500,000 (£419,000) for each post containing fake news or hate speech that isn't removed from the network within 24 hours.

The proposals are in part a response to rising concerns that online hoaxes could influence the country's Bundestag elections, due to be held in 2017, following reports that misleading articles affected the outcome of the US election.