Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Commission said that big tech companies, including Facebook, X, and YouTube, have consented to do more to tackle online hate speech under an updated code of conduct that will now be incorporated into EU tech regulations.
Other signatories are Dailymotion, LinkedIn, Instagram, Jeuxvideo.com, Microsoft-hosted consumer services, Rakuten Viber, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitch.
In Europe, there is no place for illegal hate, either offline or online. I welcome the stakeholders’ commitment to a strengthened Code of Conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA),
EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen stated in a statement.
How does the DSA tackle illegal online hate speech?
The DSA demands tech businesses do more to fight illegal and harmful content on their platforms. Adherence with the updated code could influence regulators’ enforcement of the Act, EU officials stated. Under the modified code, the firms pledged to permit not-for-profit or public entities with expertise in illegal hate speech to watch how they check hate speech notices and to evaluate at least two-thirds of these notices obtained from them within 24 hours.
Furthermore, the platforms will also take steps, such as operating automatic detection instruments to lessen hate speech on their platforms and delivering information on the function of recommendation systems and the organic and algorithmic reach of illegal content before its disposal. They will give country-level data categorised by the internal classification of hate speech, such as religion, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
When did the EU propose adding hate crimes to the EU crimes list?
The European Union has actively addressed hate speech and hate crimes through several initiatives and legislative measures. In December 2021, the European Commission proposed extending the list of EU crimes to include hate speech and hate crimes. It aims to provide minimum rules for the definition of these offences and applicable penalties throughout member states, emphasising the serious nature of the crime in light of its devastating effects on society.
