Free Republic

The European Union reached an agreement Tuesday with some of the world's biggest social media firms, including Facebook and Twitter, on ways to combat the spread of hate speech online. Under the terms of a code of conduct, the firms, which also include YouTube and Microsoft, have committed to "quickly and efficiently" tackle illegal hate speech directed against anyone over issues of race, color, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin. The sites have often been used by terrorist organizations to relay messages and entice hatred against certain individuals or groups. Among the measures agreed with the EU's executive arm,...

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have “signed up” to a new European Union (EU) “Code of Conduct”, pledging to help censor and “criminalise” perceived “illegal online hate speech” and “promot[e] independent counter-narratives” that the EU favors. The Code, which has been branded “Orwellian” by Members of the European Parliament, is reproduced in full below by Breitbart London for the benefit of our readers. Facebook, Microsoft [Microsoft-hosted consumer services, as relevant], Twitter and YouTube (hereinafter “the IT Companies”) – also involved in the EU Internet Forum – share, together with other platforms and social media companies, a collective responsibility and pride in...

The European Commission has today announced a partnership with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft in order to crack down on what it classes as “illegal hate speech” while “criminaliz[ing]” perpetrators and “promoting independent counter-narratives” that the European Union favours. A press release from the Commission this morning claims the new initiative has been set up “to respond to the challenge of ensuring that online platforms do not offer opportunities for illegal online hate speech to spread virally”. The move has been branded “Orwellian” by Members of the European Parliament, and digital freedom groups have already pulled out of any further...

Could it soon be illegal to oppose jihad terror on the Internet? AP reported that “the European Union reached an agreement Tuesday with some of the world’s biggest social media firms, including Facebook and Twitter, on ways to combat the spread of hate speech online.”

Tech giants are cracking down on hate speech. Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft have all agreed to the European Commission's new "code of conduct," which aims to combat illegal hate speech and terrorist propaganda. These new regulations, which were announced Tuesday, will require the tech companies to review the majority of hateful online content within 24 hours of being notified—and remove the post if it's truly offensive and malicious. Tech companies will also have to promote independent counter-narratives to hate speech published online.