Internet giants sign up to EU rules to tackle terrorist propaganda - CNET

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Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and YouTube have signed up to new rules to tackle online hate speech.

The Inteet titans have agreed to a new code of conduct by the European Union that takes aim at illegal hate speech and terrorist propaganda posted online. Under the new rules, they've committed to reviewing the majority of notifications that a social media post may contain hate speech within 24 hours. They've also agreed to remove the post if necessary.

They've also agreed to talk to each other, to govements and to law enforcement agencies about keeping up with potential abuse.

"There's no place for hate speech on Facebook," said Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management at Facebook today. "We urge people to use our reporting tools if they find content that they believe violates our standards so we can investigate. Our teams around the world review these reports around the clock and take swift action."

As well as removing abusive postings, the EU and the big companies will look to balance hate speech by promoting "independent counter-narratives" and supporting educational programs that "encourage critical thinking".