Platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube sign an EU code of conduct to combat hate speech.
There will be no penalty if they decide to withdraw from the agreement.
Several major platforms such as Meta, Google, TikTok, and X have announced their commitment to European lawmakers to take more effective measures to prevent and eliminate illegal hate speech on their sites. In this context, the European Commission incorporated a revised set of voluntary commitments within the Digital Services Act (DSA) aimed at helping these platforms demonstrate their compliance with obligations related to the moderation of illegal content.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Dailymotion, Jeuxvideo.com, Rakuten Viber, and Microsoft’s consumer services have signed the “Code of Conduct to Counter Illegal Online Hate Speech Plus.” This code is an update to a similar document from 2016. The new commitment means that the signatory companies pledge to be transparent regarding the detection and reduction of hate speech, allow external monitors to assess how reports are managed, and review at least two-thirds of hate speech notifications within 24 hours.
EU Commissioner Michael McGrath stated that "hate and polarization threaten the fundamental values and rights of the EU and undermine the stability of our democracies." He also emphasized that "the internet amplifies the negative effects of hate speech," expressing his confidence that this Code of Conduct will contribute to a robust response to this problem.
It is worth noting that these Codes of Conduct are voluntary commitments, which means that companies do not face penalties if they choose to withdraw from the agreement. This was the case with Elon Musk when he pulled X (formerly known as Twitter) out of the Code of Practice on Disinformation in 2022.
