It is no longer only the quantity and diversity of anti-democratic online offerings that challenge digital counter-speech. Phenomena and structural conditions of digital media such as bots, algorithms or deep fakes make digital counter-speech even more difficult. Furthermore, this changes the demands on users’ media knowledge and their ability to critique media. The article provides detailed insights into the above-mentioned aspects and discusses challenges and opportunities of digital counter-speech in virtual contexts. Nevertheless, due to its brevity and the multitude of topics addressed, this article is to be understood as an overview or introduction to the topic.