EU: Security Union, EU rules on removal of terrorist content online enter into force today

Landmark EU rules on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online have entered into force today. Platforms will now “have to remove terrorist content referred by Member States’ authorities within 1 hour”, a statement from the Commission said. “The rules will also help to counter the spread of extremist ideologies online - a vital part of preventing attacks and addressing radicalisation”. Such rules “include strong safeguards to ensure the full respect of fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and information”. The Regulation “will also set transparency obligations for online platforms and for national authorities to report on the amount of terrorist content removed, the measures used to identify and remove content, the outcomes of complaints and appeals, as well as the number and type of penalties imposed on online platforms”. Member States and online platforms providing services in the EU “now have one year to adapt their processes”. The Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, said: “With these landmark new rules, we are cracking down on the proliferation of terrorist content online and making the EU’s Security Union a reality”.
Gianni Borsa