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Major Tech Firms Sign EU Pledge To Tackle Hate Speech (theverge.com) 162

Many of the world's largest tech companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok, and X, have pledged to European lawmakers that they will do more to prevent and remove illegal hate speech on their platforms. The revised set of voluntary commitments unveiled on Monday aim to help platforms "demonstrate their compliance" with the Digital Services Act (DSA) obligations regarding illegal content moderation. The Verge reports: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Dailymotion, Jeuxvideo.com, Rakuten Viber, and Microsoft-hosted consumer services have all signed the "Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online Plus" -- which is not a terribly named streaming service but an update to a 2016 Code. The revised code commits signatories to transparency around hate speech detection and reduction, to allowing third-party monitors to assess how hate speech notices are reviewed by the platforms, and to review "at least two-thirds of hate speech notices" within 24 hours. These EU Codes of Conduct are voluntary commitments and companies face no penalties if they decide to back out of the agreement [...].

Major Tech Firms Sign EU Pledge To Tackle Hate Speech

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  • Conditions (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Wolfling1 ( 1808594 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @08:50PM (#65104847) Journal
    As long as there's no fact-checking involved.
    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      So much the better if it's not; they're kind of stupid to be honest. One that sticks out in recent memory is this:

      https://www.politifact.com/fac... [politifact.com]

      They even found a mention from the state government that they were requiring prior permission for flights, and published it right there in that piece, and yet they rated the whole thing as false. At best maybe they could claim that it wasn't FEMA or the FAA (though they should have done a better job of looking into it given they're supposedly "fact" checkers, whe

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        Requiring permission to fly into a disaster zone is not the equivalent of FEMA saying "no you can't have a Starlink".

      • by Zak3056 ( 69287 )

        I'm a fan of this one [politifact.com]. Reading the law makes it clear that a 17 year old in possession of a long arm is not, in fact, violating the law except under specific conditions that were not present in this case. The judge in the case dismissed the charge as a matter of law when the DA stipulated that those specific conditions did not apply. Politifact still claims that it is correct in its interpretation of Wisconsin law, ignoring the actual, you know, facts. I guess that's the "politi" part.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Looks completely accurate to me. They were not blocking Musk or SpaceX or Starlink specifically, as the claim was. They were not deliberately trying to prevent people there getting internet access, for whatever nefarious reason the conspiracy claimed.

        They were enforcing the normal rules around a disaster area, which as with the recent drone strike on an aircraft trying to put out fires in California demonstrates, are definitely needed.

      • Fact checking is good. Only people who want to lie hate the facts, or hate being corrected when they're wrong. Like Zuckerberg. If the facts make you upset then the problem is with you and not the facts. If you think the fact checkers are wrong, then provide your own facts or point out the errors. We should never be discouraged from pointing out errors or correcting our own errors for some brief partisan bullshi.

        These aren't even a political item, as fact checking will and have corrected people of all p

    • Re:Conditions (Score:5, Informative)

      by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @10:10PM (#65104927)

      >"As long as there's no fact-checking involved."

      In the USA there is no such thing as illegal "hate speech." There is only illegal incitement to violence, which is much different (or liable/slander, which is civil).

      https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]

      https://reason.com/volokh/2017... [reason.com]

      Now, what a private company does is its own business. If they want to try and define something as nebulous as so-called "hate speech" and try to control it, they can. But not because it is "illegal" and not because the government has any involvement in it. And even still, it goes against the spirit of free speech in the USA.

      Meanwhile, if you don't want to read something, then don't. If you don't want to hear from someone, then mute/filter them yourself on your own account. If you want to correct something, then post a reply or use some tool like community notes. If you hate the platform, then just leave. That is your freedom to not listen.

  • . . . that Dailymotion joined just to remind people they exist?
  • by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @09:06PM (#65104861)

    Use the word “cisgender” on Twitter and your account will be flagged.

    • by Random361 ( 6742804 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @09:14PM (#65104873)

      That's because Elon Musk is secretly a transsexual reptilian wearing human skin he harvested soon after he emerged from the Hollow Earth.

      • by Kernel Kurtz ( 182424 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @09:22PM (#65104889)
        Not true dude, the earth is not hollow.
      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I know you are joking but it's actually really awful. He used to be okay with trans people, until his daughter came out as transgender. He was hoping she would be his heir, who of course has to be male, and they are now estranged because of his poor treatment of her.

      • Now you've done it, you've pissed off the flatearthers wth your heresy!

    • by RobinH ( 124750 )
      If you think that's crazy (and it is) consider that pubs in Britain may need to start regulating patrons' conversations [thetimes.com]. Does every generation need to learn the value of freedom of speech by losing it first?
    • Use the word âoecisgenderâ on Twitter and your account will be flagged.

      I think the word you are looking for is either "man" or "woman"....you know, terms that cover the vast majority of people inhabiting planet earth.

      You know....normal human beings.

      Use man or woman...and I'll bet you never get flagged AND as a side benefit, everyone will know just what the fuck you're talking about, eh?

      • And yet there are human beings that don't easily fit into male or female categories, despite speeches to the contrary. It's basic biology that intersex exists. We're not even talking about transgender or changing genders. To declare them non-humans is a bit harsh, just to satisfy the the beliefs of religious voters in the divine binary. Firm believe in the "science" learned in kindergarten doesn't match the actual complexity of fetal and human development; there are XY humans who clearly appear in all t

  • by MpVpRb ( 1423381 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @09:14PM (#65104879)

    In practice, hate speech is impossible to define precisely in a way that all agree with.
    I oppose truly hateful stuff, like racist rants, but it is easy to speculate that even an intellectual atheist post would be defined as hate by a religious reviewer

    • Lots of places seem to get the job done adequately.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

      • I don't know if you remember BarBar, Son of Hud. He used to brag somewhat regularly here on slashdot how he got some lady to be forced to publicly apologize for "outing" him during some kind of hearing under Canada's hate speech laws and paying a fine or something like that, and even linked to proof of it. At first I thought nothing of it, then eventually happened across one of his youtube videos...his voice sounds like that of Bill Dauterive from King of the Hill, face looks like a live action version of i

      • by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @10:23PM (#65104949)

        >"Lots of places seem to get the job done adequately."

        Yeah, based on nebulous opinion.

        *ANY* speech can be "hate speech" depending on the mindset of who is hearing it. That is why it is stupid, snowflake concept. You don't have the right to not be offended in a free country. I hear things all the time I don't like, or find insulting or offensive. People need to grow up.

        That said, people also need to remember to be kind, tolerant, and courteous. Not because there is some insane set of laws trying to mandate it. But because it is just the right thing to do. It doesn't matter if it is in person, or over the internet, named or anonymous. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

        • by kmoser ( 1469707 )
          Banning hate speech is not intended to prevent people from being "offended". It's intended to prevent people from saying things that are e.g. racist and sexist. Sure, it's difficult to discern intent sometimes, but that doesn't mean the rules shouldn't be there at all. As with any law, specific questions of legality get ironed out in the courts.
          • by WaffleMonster ( 969671 ) on Monday January 20, 2025 @11:44PM (#65105053)

            Banning hate speech is not intended to prevent people from being "offended". It's intended to prevent people from saying things that are e.g. racist and sexist.

            The banning of hate speech is intended to prevent people from saying things you don't like because you are too much of a coward to tolerate it.

            Sure, it's difficult to discern intent sometimes, but that doesn't mean the rules shouldn't be there at all. As with any law, specific questions of legality get ironed out in the courts.

            Why is intent even relevant? If by speaking someone merely intends to express their honest opinion about a religion, group, belief or ethnicity then that expression is still illegal. Pure speech completely disconnected from any action or intent to do anything other than convey thoughts and ideas is illegal.

            • It is about disrespectful expressions about people of specific ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, disability and sexual orientation. I almost took it from an existing law in an EU country.
            • because you are too much of a coward to tolerate it.

              I'm pretty wary of people calling for my death, you know, especially as such calls have been actioned at scale before.

          • >"Banning hate speech is not intended to prevent people from being "offended". It's intended to prevent people from saying things that are e.g. racist and sexist"

            And the reason for that is to prevent people from being offended by something they BELIEVE or FEEL is racist and sexist. And the reality is, the listener can interpret most anything as "racist" or "sexist" depending on his/her beliefs and mindsets...

            If someone said "generally, women show more emotion than men" or "overall, per-capita, blacks co

        • That said, people also need to remember to be kind, tolerant, and courteous... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

          Would you rather be lied to courteously (never mind the contradiction), or told the truth harshly?

          As someone who was taught (and still believe) that honesty is the best policy, I know which one I would choose!

          • >"Would you rather be lied to courteously (never mind the contradiction), or told the truth harshly?"

            Would you rather be not allowed to hear the truth because someone else decides it is a lie when it isn't? Or possibly "offensive"?

            >"As someone who was taught (and still believe) that honesty is the best policy, I know which one I would choose!"

            I was taught the golden rule, and believe it in. I was also taught that honesty is the best policy, and believe that, too. But I was taught told that sticks a

        • You don't have the right to not be offended in a free country.

          There's no such thing as a free country. Your entire life is constantly governed by laws, maybe not speech but definitely countless others. Even tribal societies established rules that limit ones freedom.

          And given that America tops the world in number of incarcerated people per capita one could argue it's the least free country of them all.

        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Legally the mindset of the listener is only a small part of it, at least in Europe. Freedom of expression is a human right here, so the bar for hate speech has to be set very high.

          Typically that means that the speaker had to have intended it has hatred of a group, and a reasonable person hearing it would have interpreted it that way. Proving intention is difficult but not impossible.

        • kind, tolerant, and courteous

          Questions. In your opinion, does kind, tolerant, and courteous describe the people who advocate for hate speech laws? Do the proponents of said laws, generally speaking, refrain from hateful speech themselves?

          Obviously you do not know everyone, but of the ones you encounter, do they generally exhibit these traits?

          Not rhetorical or argumentative, just curious, I live in Seattle which may be the least tolerant, most conformist place on earth, where everyone considers themselves

          • >"Obviously you do not know everyone, but of the ones you encounter, do they generally exhibit these traits?"

            I can only say most of the people I personally know are against so-called "hate speech" laws and are, indeed, kind, tolerant and courteous people. But that is not a representation of the population at large. The few people I know who would support "hate speech" laws are also kind, tolerant and courteous people. However, I tend to not associate with anyone who isn't kind, tolerant and courteous.

    • Nobody needs to define hate speech in a precise way that all agree with. It's enough to define hate speech locally (ie such that the locals agree). If you want to visit, abide by the rules. If you don't like the hate speech constraints, don't visit.

      It's simple. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill, there are more important issues.

    • EU to hate hate speech, uh oh it is a trap reverse course. EU to love hate speech, hmm that is no good either. EU to dislike hate speech.
    • that all agree with.

      There's no such thing as all agreeing to something. That's not how democracy works. Democracy is tyranny of a majority, you may not think what you're doing is hate speech but that is actually irrelevant. You need to get a majority to agree with you that something isn't hate speech and use that majority to get the appropriate rules put in place.

      E.g. In America the majority have clearly decided that hate speech should not be a crime at all. In places in Europe anti-hate speech laws have been passed and have m

    • Or that a religious user's posts quoting the Torah, Bible, or Koran would be called hate.
    • I oppose truly hateful stuff, like racist rants

      Unpopular speech is the only speech that needs protecting.

      Rants are words. They arenâ(TM)t actions. I rant all the time. Like when someone cuts me off it traffic. I say all kinds of crazy shit. Sometimes people hear me. Sometimes they laugh. Sometimes they rant back. I never carry it out, and I oppose your opposition to whatever the fuck I want to rant about and I hope I never have to get a permission slip from my self appointed betters first. If a

  • If your holy book ssys you can beat women and I say your holy book is disgusting, is that hate speech?

    The UK government is currently leaning to "yes".
  • If you thought free speech was dangerous, censorship is even worse.

  • by hdyoung ( 5182939 ) on Tuesday January 21, 2025 @12:08AM (#65105077)
    This evening the biggest tech companies are signing a liberal european pledge to combat hate speech, while earlier this morning executives from the same companies were lined up to give Trump a fist-up salute that would have been right at home in WW2 Italy.

    It’s almost like they’ll say and do whatever is good for business.

    I guess I don’t really have a problem with this. That’s capitalism. But nobody should be under any illusions that these companies adhere to any sort of higher moral or ethical code. This is about money.
    • >"earlier this morning executives from the same companies were lined up to give Trump a fist-up salute that would have been right at home in WW2 Italy."

      Or it might be they realized what they were doing was un-American. And even though it is allowed here by private companies, it was/is a horrible idea.

      >"Itâ(TM)s almost like theyâ(TM)ll say and do whatever is good for business."

      Or it is almost like they are going to follow the laws of the countries in which they are doing business. As long a

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      They may need to have different rules for EU and US users.

      Nothing can save Twitter though.

      • by Tablizer ( 95088 )

        The Europe side can redact portions they don't like:

        US Version: "People from the country of Elbonia are lazy smelly dog-eaters."

        Europe Version: "People from the country of Elbonia are [redacted under EU law 123]."

  • Define "hate speech" (Score:4, Informative)

    by bradley13 ( 1118935 ) on Tuesday January 21, 2025 @01:00AM (#65105133) Homepage

    So, is calling Mr Habeck (Germany) a "schwachkopf" hate speech? The German police thought so.

    What about calling out the illegal immigrant who just stabbed three young children in your neighborhood? The UK thought it was.

    What about freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the Charter of Human Rights? "Hate speech", even if you could define it sensibly, is still speech, and a valid personal opinion.

    • Exactly. The hate speech thing is very nefarious and is being used by organized / paid groups to hide mass crimes and terrorist activities like in the UK people are getting arrested for reporting or complaining about deadly crimes while the actual criminals are running around freely and even gloating on social media

      Such things need to be banned even if new laws are required for that, it doesn't matter if it's a private company - once you have 10s of millions of users you have to be held responsible. Else yo

  • They will just host it in the 'land of absolute free spech'.
  • by DrXym ( 126579 ) on Tuesday January 21, 2025 @03:06AM (#65105267)

    These platforms will do fuck all with a voluntary committment. Their lips will flap, they'll make pretend initiatives, they'll make pretend progress reports and the problem will still persist while the problem continues. Meanwhile, certain platforms like X will be actively undermining European democracy.

    Europe should be issuing directives - either you abide by the codes we set down or we will punish your platform and / or the stakeholders.

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Europe should be issuing directives - either you abide by the codes we set down or we will punish your platform and / or the stakeholders.

      Europe will. They are just giving these enterprises a chance to fix their act first. That is good style. Afterwards, when they have failed, the can be hit with the big hammer. Which is also why those enterprises will be excessively stupid if they do not make a credible effort.

  • I've summarized their stances:
    Person 1: I hate Jews - this is fine
    Person 2: I hate white people - this is fine
    Person 3: I hate black people - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  • a. Define “hate speech”.

    b. Who gets to define what is “hate speech”.

Let the machine do the dirty work. -- "Elements of Programming Style", Kernighan and Ritchie

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