FORTUNE — Some of the biggest U.S. tech firms have signed up to a code of conduct formulated by the European Commission, in which they agree to help fight against the spread of hate speech in Europe.
Online rights groups have reacted with outrage, saying they have no confidence in the agreement because they were left out of the discussions leading up to it (a point now being investigated by an EU watchdog) and they think the deal fails to protect free speech rights.
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft MSFT promised to review most reports of illegal hate speech on their platforms within 24 hours and act on them by removing or disabling access to the content, as long as the complaints are precise and substantiated. Their terms of service and community guidelines will have to be clear that they prohibit hateful conduct and incitements to violence.
Google public policy director Lie Junius said in the statement that Google, which owns YouTube, has always prohibited illegal hate speech on its platforms and already has efficient systems in place for reviewing complaints. Facebook, too, said its “teams around the world review these reports around the clock and take swift action.”
European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Access Now, two of the EU’s most prominent lobbyists for online rights, reacted to the agreement by saying civil society groups had been “systematically excluded” from the negotiations leading up to it. As a result, they said they would not take part in future discussions taking place under the banner of the Commission’s “EU Internet Forum.”
According to a statement, the companies recognize that illegal hate speech has a negative impact not only on individuals, but also on “those who speak out for freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination in our open societies and has a chilling effect on the democratic discourse on online platforms.”
Di tengah tekanan ekonomi dan sulitnya mendapatkan pekerjaan dengan penghasilan layak di Indonesia, impian bekerja…
Sekitar 500 ribu warga India berprofesi sebagai ahli komputer sedang resah. Semua ini gara-gara pernyataan…
Apakah pembaca masih ingat kasus skema Ponzi Francius Marganda yang melibatkan kakak beradik Theresia Jaya…
Monica Ryadi telah tinggal di Amerika Serikat sejak berusia 9 tahun dan mendapat perlindungan Withholding…
Ketika Diaspora Memilih Indonesia untuk Menjalani Masa Pensiun Keinginan untuk pulang biasanya datang perlahan. Mula-mula…
Aturan baru dapat membuat penggunaan sejumlah bantuan pemerintah ikut dipertimbangkan dalam permohonan green card. Namun,…
View Comments
I like how YouTube Video Downloader focuses on convenience and simplicity.
It can be helpful when managing videos for permitted offline use.
I like how YouTube Video Downloader focuses on convenience and simplicity.
It can be helpful when managing videos for permitted offline use.
I agree that building an emergency fund makes managing money feel much less stressful. One helpful step is to keep it in a separate high-yield savings account, so it stays accessible without being too easy to spend.
Online platforms play an important role in sharing videos, music, and information, but responsible digital content use remains essential. Whether discussing social media policies or working with audio for editing projects, creators benefit from understanding copyright and platform guidelines. For content they own or have permission to use, tools that convert YouTube to WAV online can help prepare audio for compatible editing software and production workflows.