EU says it’ll pass online hate speech laws if Facebook, Google, and others don’t crack down

The European Union is once again asking Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other web

companies to crack down on hate speech and speech inciting violence and terrorism — but this time, it’s taking things a step further. The European Commission has issued guidelines for web companies to follow, and it’s warning the companies that, if they don’t comply, the Commission may pass legislation. And that legislation, of course, could lead to some huge fines. There are a handful of guidelines so far. The Commission recommends that web companies appoint a dedicated point of contact, who law enforcement can contact when illegal content is discovered. It wants web companies to allow third-party “trusted flaggers” with “specific expertise in identifying illegal content” to come in and monitor potentially illegal posts. And it asks web companies to invest in technologies that can automatically detect potentially illegal posts and speech.                                                                                                       https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/28/16380526/eu-hate-speech-laws-google-facebook-twitter