Big Tech Required by EU to Remove Terrorist Content during Israeli-Hamas War

European Union, with the ongoing Israeli-Hamas War and an overwhelming amount of misinformation within social media platforms, reportedly urged Big Tech companies like Meta and X to strictly moderate and remove illegal content, effectively classifying Hamas-associated posts as terrorist content.

EU's executive branch reminded all social media platforms and companies of their legal responsibilities under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Terrorist Content Online (TCO) Regulation. Legal Penalties were reported to be ranging from monetary fines to an outright ban in Europe.

EU maintained a solid stand with these regulations and policies by stating that they will properly implement the DSA and keep track of the whole TCO implementation.

EU's Recent Warnings to Big Tech Companies

EU has continuously reminded Big Tech companies about content moderation, especially during the Israeli-Hamas War. On Wednesday, EU industry official Thierry Breton pleaded with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to strictly adhere to European legislation.

EU's official wrote how Meta must exercise extreme caution to guarantee that the DSA rules on terms of service are strictly followed. Meta must also meet its obligation for prompt, diligent, and objective action following reports of illegal content in the EU, and the need for reasonable and effective mitigation measures.

Breton also warned Elon Musk on Tuesday to stop the spread of misinformation on his messaging service X, with his letter stating that X's systems must be effective and that the official must be notified of any measures taken by the platform and Elon Musk.

Both tech giants had 24 hours to respond to the warnings from the EU.

Elon Musk reportedly launched various misinformation prevention strategies about the ongoing Israeli-Hamas Conflict when an unprecedented amount of misinformation flooded the platform last Monday. The prevention strategies were made after classifying the misinformation incident as a top-level crisis, thereby launching its highest response.

EU's warnings and reminders on content moderation-related policies are in response to increased conflict-related misinformation, including doctored photographs and videos with incorrect titles combined with images of horrific bloodshed during the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Islamist group Hamas.

EU's Content Moderation Policies

EU's Digital Services Act was implemented last August, wherein it became a legal requirement for Big Tech companies to block the spread of dangerous information, prohibit or restrict specific user targeting techniques, and allow some internal data with authorities and related researchers.

DSA's recent implementation saw friction from different platforms, with Kingsley Hayes, head of data and privacy litigation at law firm Keller Postman reportedly saying that a lot of the affected platforms will fight in upholding their current methods and practices "especially when new compliance rules encroach on their core business models."

EU's Terrorist Content Online Regulation, on the other hand, reportedly became applicable in June 2022, wherein it required online platforms based in Europe to remove identified terrorist content within an hour, ensuring the safety and security of European citizens.