BERLIN — German lawmakers are poised to pass a bill designed to enforce the country’s existing limits on free speech — including the long-standing ban on Holocaust denial — in social networks.

Critics including tech giants and human rights campaigners say the legislation could have consequences for free speech online.

The proposed measure would fine social networking sites up to $56 million if they fail to swiftly remove illegal content, including defamatory “fake news.”

It’s scheduled for a vote in parliament Friday, the last session before summer recess and September’s national election, and is widely expected to pass.

The U.N.’s independent expert on freedom of speech, David Kaye, warned the German government earlier this month that the criteria for removing material were “vague and ambiguous,” adding that the prospect of hefty fines could prompt social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to delete questionable content without waiting for a court to rule it’s unlawful.