Tech Giants Help Europe Fight Online Hate, But Home Fronts Falter

While online hate speech continues to plague social media, major tech companies are taking new steps to combat the problem. Leading platforms like Facebook, YouTube, X, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn have signed the European Union's code of conduct to strengthen their fight against unlawful content and hate speech online. They've promised to review at least two-thirds of hate speech reports within 24 hours and work with public and non-profit experts to monitor their responses.

The tech giants aren't just making promises – they're rolling out new tools and requirements. They're implementing advanced detection systems to spot harmful content and making their recommendation algorithms more transparent. They'll also provide country-specific data on how they classify hate speech. DailyMotion, Microsoft, Rakuten Viber, and Jeuxvideo.com have also joined as participating companies. Research shows that most platforms' approaches to content moderation exceed global norms for restricting expression. Under the Digital Services Act, these companies will undergo yearly independent audits, while a network of Monitoring Reporters will keep tabs on their progress.

There's been a big shift in how platforms handle hate speech since the mid-2000s. The average number of protected characteristics in their policies has doubled since 2010. Today's platforms don't just ban obvious hate speech – they also prohibit harmful stereotypes, conspiracy theories, and even curses. Users have witnessed a significant rise in hate speech since Twitter's algorithmic changes in recent months.

However, there's still work to be done. GLAAD's reports show major platforms are failing to protect LGBTQIA+ users adequately.

Countries aren't waiting for tech companies to solve the problem on their own. Germany led the charge in 2018 with a law targeting online hate speech. France followed by giving judges power to remove election-related disinformation. Australia introduced hefty fines for platforms that don't quickly remove violent content. The EU's Digital Services Act now requires stricter measures to reduce illegal content across all platforms.

The tech giants' commitment to the EU's updated code isn't just about following rules – it could affect how the Digital Services Act is enforced. This matters because there's growing international concern about social media's impact on democracy.

While these companies are making progress in Europe, they're facing criticism for not doing enough in other parts of the world. The challenge now is to apply these improved standards consistently across all regions, not just where regulations are strictest.

It's a complex battle against online hate that's far from over, but at least there's movement in the right direction.