Facebook, X, YouTube to do more against online hate speech, EU says

Meta’s (META.O) Facebook, Elon Musk’s X, Google’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube, and other tech firms have agreed to enhance efforts against online hate speech through a revised code of conduct that will be incorporated into EU tech regulations, the European Commission announced on Monday.

Other signatories to the voluntary code established in May 2016 include Dailymotion, Instagram, Jeuxvideo.com, LinkedIn, Microsoft (MSFT.O), hosted consumer services, Snapchat, Rakuten Viber, TikTok, and Twitch. “In Europe, there is no room for illegal hate, whether offline or online.” “I appreciate the stakeholders’ dedication to an enhanced Code of Conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA),” said EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen in a statement.

The DSA mandates technology firms to take greater actions against unlawful and detrimental content on their platforms. EU officials indicated that adherence to the revised code might influence how regulators enforce the Act. According to the updated code, the companies committed to permitting non-profit or public organizations experienced in handling illegal hate speech to oversee their evaluation of hate speech reports, and to address at least two-thirds of these reports they receive within 24 hours.

The companies will implement actions like employing automatic detection tools to minimize hate speech on their platforms, and offer details about the function of recommendation systems as well as the organic and algorithmic dissemination of illegal content before it is deleted. They will deliver data at the country level categorized by internal classifications of hate speech, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation.