Facebook, X, YouTube agree on new rules to combat hate speech in the EU

Facebook, X, YouTube and other tech companies have joined the updated EU code of conduct on combating hate speech. Companies have pledged to respond more quickly to complaints and implement automatic tools for detecting malicious content.

Facebook owned by Meta, Elon Musk's X, Google's YouTube and other tech companies have agreed to take a more proactive approach to online hate speech as part of an updated code of conduct that is now being integrated into EU tech rules.&nbsp Reuters writes about this with reference to the European Commission.

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“There is no place for illegal hate speech in Europe, offline or online. I welcome the commitment of stakeholders to a strengthened Code of Conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA),” said EU Technology Commissioner Genna Virkkunen in a statement.

Among other companies that have joined the voluntary code, created in May 2016, are Dailymotion, Instagram, Jeuxvideo.com, LinkedIn, Microsoft services, Snapchat, Rakuten Viber, TikTok and Twitch.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges technology companies to take a more active role in tackling illegal and harmful content. European officials have warned that the implementation of the updated code could affect how regulators monitor compliance with the law.

Under the new terms, companies must allow specialized non-profit or government organizations to oversee the review of hate speech reports. They also commit to processing at least two-thirds of such reports from these organizations within 24 hours.

Tech giants are expected to implement automated tools to detect hate speech and report on the role of algorithms and recommendation systems in spreading illegal content before it is removed.

In addition, companies are expected to provide data by country, broken down by category of hate speech – such as race, ethnic origin, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.