Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube and Others Agree To Remove Hate Speech Across the EU

Tech giants in conjunction with European Union are taking a stand to fight hate speech. Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube, Google, and Facebook have launched "code of conduct" aimed at fighting racism and xenophobia across Europe. The companies aren't legally obligated, but have agreed to "public commitments" to review the "majority of valid notifications for removal of illegal hate speech" in less than 24 hours, and make it easier for law enforcement in Europe to notify the firms directly. From a TechCrunch report: Tech companies will have to find the right balance between freedom of expression and hateful content. Based on the code of conduct, they'll have dedicated teams reviewing flagged items (poor employees who will have to review awful things every day). Tech companies will also educate their users and tell them that it's forbidden to post hateful content. They'll cooperate with each other to share best practice. They'll encourage flagging of hateful content and they'll promote counter speech against hateful rhetoric. It's good to see that this issue got escalated and the European Commission was able to come up with a code of conduct quite quickly. Instead of making tech companies deal with every single European country, they can agree on rules for the EU as a whole."The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech," Vera Jourova, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, wrote in the European Commission press release. "Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalise young people and racist use to spread violence and hatred. This agreement is an important step forward to ensure that the internet remains a place of free and democratic expression, where European values and laws are respected."

Comments

What could go wrong?

[transami]

No slippery slope here, no sir.

Well thats

[maroberts]

Doubleplusgood

Holy Mutually Exclusive Things, Batman!

[ScentCone]

This agreement is an important step forward to ensure that the internet remains a place of free and democratic expression, where European values and laws are respected.

So, European values don't actually include free expression. Will bouncing back and forth between these too opposing goals cause so much friction that the interwebs actually catch on fire?

Re:Holy Mutually Exclusive Things, Batman!

[Raenex]

There is a different between some racist twonk saying "ALL {X} MUST DIE!" (or other racist b.s.) and saying "Your message has no place here, and we're not going to allow it."

It's more like this:

Government: "Terrorist are a problem! We must ban hate speech."

Pleb: "Yes, and maybe you shouldn't have let in all those people associated with terrorism, violence, and intolerance."

Government: "Xenophobia! This hate speech must be banned!"

who decides what is "hate speech"???

[ganjadude]

exactly. who gets to decide what hate speech is real and what is imagined? will facts equal hate speech??? will not believing in some political views equal hate speech???

this is going to go very very badly

Re:who decides what is "hate speech"???

[NotDrWho]

It's simple. Harassment and hate speech is anything that disagrees with me or that I find uncomfortable or offensive.

You're welcome.

Re:who decides what is "hate speech"???

[Crashmarik]

No, no, no. That's the prelude to badly. When you stop people from discussing and protesting things they disagree with, it's what comes next that's the reall things going badly.

Re:who decides what is "hate speech"???

[INT_QRK]

"Hate Speech" - Noun, (1) Any speech about which the Left disapproves or consider contradictory to Leftist goals or objectives. (2) A political term to justify censorship or persecution on enemies. See Stalin, Joseph.

Re:who decides what is "hate speech"???

[Atrox666]

SJWs of course. All those people can get off welfare and use those gender studies degrees.

Only really serious hate speech, like disagreeing with anything a woman or person of colour says.

It'll be fine, and if you disagree you will be required to get a 2 inch tall tattoo on your forehead that says "Shitlord".

Re:who decides what is "hate speech"???

[Applehu Akbar]

Hate speech, like it or not, is part of having a free society. RIP, Europe.

Hate speech is free speech you don't like.

Why do they remind you of that?

[SuperKendall]

The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech

What? What speech was said that triggered the attacks? The attacks would have been done regardless of what anyone said.

Even if you buy into the nonsense the west is responsible for the attacks that is still because of something the west DID, not because of what they SAID.

In the end the "illegal online hate speech" will be anything that displeases the ruling class. History has shown us again and again how well it turns out when all news is just censored propaganda.

You're not removing hate speech, just hiding it

[argStyopa]

Let's all remember that this doesn't really REMOVE hate speech. It hides it, allowing us all to feel wonderful about ourselves and that we've "done something" about hate speech.

We haven't *actually* DONE anything.

Like Juncker's fantastically anti-democratic reaction to the threat of the Ã-FP victory in Austria (I won't allow any far-right reactionaries any power in the EU!), Europe seems to fundamentally "not get" how democracy works. When confronted with something unpleasant, they try to ban it.

The only cure for unpleasant speech is more speech. Anything else ultimately makes it worse.

Typo

[countach44]

Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube and Others Agree To Remove Free Speech Across the EU

FTFY

Babies and bathwater, slippery slopes, boiling frogs, etc...