Major tech companies including Meta‘s Facebook, Elon Musk’s X (earlier Twitter), Google’s YouTube and others have agreed to strengthen their efforts against online hate speech under an updated code of conduct that will be incorporated into the European Union’s (EU) tech rules. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the European Commission has announced that these companies, along with other signatories to the voluntary code established in May 2016, have committed to taking further action to combat the spread of hate speech. Several other tech companies have also signed the voluntary code of conduct to combat online hate speech, including Dailymotion, Instagram, Jeuxvideo.com, LinkedIn, Microsoft-hosted consumer services, Snapchat, Rakuten Viber, TikTok and Twitch.

What is the new code of conduct and what EU said about it

Under the updated code, companies have committed to allowing not-for-profit or public organisations with expertise in illegal hate speech to oversee their handling of hate speech notices. They also agreed to review at least two-thirds of such notices within 24 hours.
Additionally, the companies will implement measures, including the use of automated detection tools, to minimise hate speech on their platforms. These companies will also provide transparency on the role of recommendation systems and the organic and algorithmic reach of illegal content before its removal.
The companies will also offer country-specific data, categorised by internal classifications of hate speech, such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
In a statement to Reuters, EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen said: “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 (DSA).”
The DSA mandates that tech companies take stronger action against illegal and harmful content on their platforms. According to EU officials, adhering to the updated code could influence how regulators enforce the Act.