Apr 30, 2021 23:00:00

EU adopts rule to force providers to remove terrorism-related content within an hour

The European Parliament approved a new regulation on terrorist content on April 28, 2021. When various service providers receive a request from the authorities to delete terrorist-related content, they must delete the content within one hour.

New rules adopted for quick and smooth removal of terrorist content online | News | European Parliament
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210422IPR02621/new-rules-adopted-for-quick-and-smooth-removal-of-terrorist-content-online

EU adopts controversial law forcing one-hour takedowns of terrorist content --The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/29/22409306/eu-law-one-hour-terrorist-content-takedowns-passes-parliament

The new regulations cover content such as text, images, recordings and videos that incite terrorist crimes or solicit terrorist activities. It also covers materials that explain how to make and use explosives and firearms used for terrorist purposes.

Service providers must ban access to such content or remove the content itself within one hour of receiving a removal request from the competent authority of the Member State. If the request cannot be met, it will be obliged to publish and explain the annual transparency report.

The regulation was submitted in 2018, but has undergone several major amendments before it passed the European Parliament. A particularly discussed point is that 'content uploaded for educational, artistic, press and research purposes is not subject to this regulation.'

There was also a lot of discussion about freedom of expression. For example, the rule that 'you must respond to a request to delete content within an hour' is quite strict, so service providers have devised an algorithm that automatically filters content to reduce the risk of rule violations. You will be asked.

However, some European Parliamentarians and rights groups are concerned that 'new rules could introduce algorithms that threaten freedom of expression for major service providers.'

'The use of automatic filtering is not obligatory and requires companies to implement algorithms. Such technologies are cheaper than humans,' said Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MP of the European Parliament in France. It may look particularly attractive in situations where it becomes. '

Service providers will see this rule take effect 12 months after it is published in the EU official bulletin , after which it will be adopted and enforced in member states.