Major tech companies, including Meta (parent company of Facebook), Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), Google’s YouTube, and others, have committed to enhanced efforts in combating online hate speech as part of a newly updated Code of Conduct integrated into the European Union’s Digital Services Act.
The European Commission announced on Monday that other signatories to the voluntary code, originally introduced in May 2016, include Instagram, LinkedIn, Microsoft, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Rakuten Viber, Dailymotion, and Jeuxvideo.com.
“In Europe, there is no place for illegal hate, whether offline or online. I welcome the stakeholders’ commitment to a strengthened Code of Conduct under the Digital Services Act,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU Tech Commissioner, in a statement.
The DSA obliges tech companies to take stronger action against illegal and harmful content on their platforms, and adherence to the updated code is expected to influence regulators’ enforcement of the Act.
EU officials emphasized that compliance with the code could play a significant role in how regulators enforce the Digital Services Act, which holds platforms accountable for creating safer online environments.
The renewed commitments come amid growing pressure on tech companies to tackle online hate speech more effectively, with policymakers and advocacy groups pushing for greater transparency and accountability in content moderation practices.
