Social Media Platforms to Take Steps to Counter Online Hate Speech

Social media platforms will tackle the issues under an updated code of conduct that will now be integrated into EU tech rules.

Tue Jan 21 2025
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BRUSSELS: The European Commission on Monday said social media platforms including, Meta’s Facebook, Elon Musk’s X, Google’s YouTube and other tech companies have agreed to take more steps to tackle online hate speech. 

The social media apps will tackle the issues under an updated code of conduct that will now be integrated into EU tech rules.

“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 said in a statement.

Other signatories to the voluntary code set up in May 2016 are Dailymotion, Instagram, Jeuxvideo.com, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Snapchat, Rakuten Viber, TikTok and Twitch.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires tech companies to do more to address illegal and harmful content on their platforms. Compliance with the updated code could influence how EU regulators enforce the Act, according to EU officials.

Under the revised code, companies have committed to allowing not-for-profit or public organisations with expertise in combating illegal hate speech to monitor their review processes for hate speech notices. These organisations will assess at least two-thirds of the hate speech notices they receive within 24 hours.

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Additionally, the companies will implement measures like using automated detection tools to minimise hate speech on their platforms. They will also provide insights into the role of recommendation systems and the organic and algorithmic reach of illegal content before it is removed.

Furthermore, companies will present country-specific data, broken down by categories such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation, to reflect their internal classification of hate speech.

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