
Image: © forestpath/Stock.adobe.com
Many of the Code’s signatories include platforms which have come under repeated fire for non-compliance under the DSA.
Social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have signed a revised voluntary EU code to “demonstrate” their compliance with the region’s Digital Services Act (DSA) by pledging to tackle hate speech on their platforms.
Among other commitments, the signatories will allow a network of ‘Monitoring Reporters’ made up of non-profit or public entities on their platforms to monitor how they are reviewing hate speech; undertake “best efforts” to review at least two-thirds of hate speech notices received from the Reporters in under 24 hours; cooperate with experts that flag trends and developments of hate speech; and raise awareness about illegal hate speech on their platforms.
Building upon a previous 2016 code, the revised ‘Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online +’ was integrated into the DSA framework yesterday (20 January), which, according to the EU, will strengthen the way online platforms deal with content that governments in the region consider illegal hate speech.
The Code of conduct +, which has also been signed by LinkedIn, Microsoft consumer services, Snapchat, Rakuten, Viber and Twitch, will facilitate compliance with and allow for a more effective enforcement of the DSA around the dissemination of illegal content, the EU said.
As part of their self-assessments under the voluntary code, the signatories are encouraged by the EU to take account of the outcomes of their measures related to hate speech on their platforms, including the role of the recommender system; as well as present country-level data on hate speech broken down by classifications of race, gender identity and religion, among other facets.
“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. Cooperation among all parties involved is the way forward to ensure a safe digital space for all,” said Henna Virkkunen, the EU executive vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
While Michael McGrath, the commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection said: “Hatred and polarisation are threats to EU values and fundamental rights and undermine the stability of our democracies. The internet is amplifying the negative effects of hate speech.”
McGrath, who was previously Ireland’s Minister for Finance, added that he trusts this code will do its part in ensuring a “robust response”.
Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a recent video announcing the end of fact-checking on his platforms in the US, claimed that Europe has “an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship”.
And late last year, the Commission requested YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok to share information on how their platforms are mitigating the potential influence of their recommender systems on the spread of illegal hate speech.
While X, which sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate in 2023 for reporting 100 tweets that the Center alleged violated the X’s own policies, had the lawsuit thrown out in 2024. The judge who ruled on the lawsuit said that there was “no mistaking” that the purpose of this lawsuit was to punish CCDH for their speech. Moreover, Elon Musk previously pulled X out of the DisinformationCode in 2023.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.