EU Hate Speech Guidelines Incorporated into the Digital Services Act

The European Commission has announced updates to its 2016 code of conduct on tackling illegal hate speech online. Under the revised code, online platforms have committed to reviewing two-thirds of content takedown requests within 24 hours and increasing transparency regarding hate speech, according to a Monday press release.

The code also introduces a “clear methodology” for monitoring reports of problematic material. These reports can come from civil society organizations or public authorities, which will also assess how platforms address flagged content, a Commission official explained during a press briefing.

Initially signed in 2016 by major tech companies, including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, Microsoft’s LinkedIn, Snapchat, Rakuten, Dailymotion, Jeuxvideo.com, Viber, and Twitch, the code has now been reaffirmed by all signatories. Notably, these companies had requested that the initiative be transformed into a formalized measure, the official added. Since the code’s inception, the removal rate for illegal hate speech content has significantly increased from roughly 28 percent to 60 percent.

While there is no unified definition of hate speech across the EU, member states are required to criminalize specific types of speech targeting racial, ethnic, or religious groups. Some countries extend these provisions to include gender identity or sexual orientation.

This announcement comes shortly after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company would PLACEHOLDER42fe7076aae5cc06 to promote free expression, starting with the U.S. The move does not currently extend to the EU. During a recent PLACEHOLDER00158251f914e036, Zuckerberg commented that “misinformation and hate speech… are the ones that got politicized,” arguing that previous efforts to regulate content may have gone too far.

Looking ahead, the European Commission also intends to finalize a separate code of practice on disinformation at the request of tech companies. This is expected to be completed soon and implemented by July, according to a Commission official.