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Meta, X, YouTube Join EU Hate Speech Pledge But Is Big Tech Ready To Play Enforcer?

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Kurt Robson
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Key Takeaways
  • Meta, X, TikTok, and YouTube have signed a pledge with the EU to do more to stop hate speech on their platforms.
  • However, with the victory of U.S. President Donald Trump, the same companies are currently feeling the pressure to go lighter on censorship.
  • This is putting Big Tech under pressure on multiple fronts.

Big Tech has signed a voluntary pledge  with EU lawmakers, claiming it will do more to prevent hate speech on its platforms.

The news follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle government censorship and Meta’s announcement it was removing third-party censorship on its platforms.

In a time of immense change for Big Tech firms, many of which are bending to President Trump’s will, are they ready to play enforcers in the EU?

Big Tech Signs EU Pledge

Meta, YouTube, TikTok and X signed a pledge on Monday, Jan. 20, as part of the European Commission’s Digital Services Act.

The Commission updated its 2016 “Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online Plus,” which asks Big Tech to be transparent about hate speech reduction and deduction.

As part of the new code , Big Tech is expected to review “at least two-thirds of hate speech notices” within a day.

“Hatred and polarization are threats to EU values and fundamental rights and undermine the stability of our democracies,” Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner, said in a statement. “We trust this Code of Conduct will do its part in ensuring a robust response.”

This agreement is entirely voluntary, meaning Big Tech will not face penalties if they withdraw from it.

U.S. Pushes Back Against Censorship

On the same day as the pledge, President Donald Trump signed an executive order  to prevent any government official from hindering the free speech of U.S. citizens.

The order, issued just hours after Trump was sworn into office, follows the president’s heavy criticism of social media companies and their censorship.

Trump’s order also mandates investigating potential free speech infringements during the previous administration.

This directive aims to dismantle what Trump describes as the “Censorship-Industrial Complex,” responding to allegations that the government pressured social media platforms to suppress dissenting views.

Real Mess for Companies?

In this context, Big Tech companies are currently under scrutiny from multiple fronts.

In the EU, social media companies are expected to enforce stricter content moderation policies to comply with the DSA, which may involve removing or restricting content deemed as hate speech.

However, following Trump’s victory in the U.S., Big Tech is now feeling pressure to protect the First Amendment. Trump argues that people should have the right to express their views without interference from either government or tech companies.

Big Tech has already begun to adjust its policies to fit this new era for the U.S., with many changing their previous regulations. Brenda Beltrán, a content manager at Holafly, said that the U.S. could create a “real mess for companies trying to follow EU rules.”

“They might have to run different systems in different regions, which is expensive and confusing. It’s going to take time and better tools to even come close to fixing this,” she stated.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced the tech giant was slashing third-party fact-checking across its platforms. In a blog post , the Facebook owner said it would remove most of its rules and policies around previously censored discussion points.

Topics such as “immigration, gender and gender identity” can now be openly discussed on all of its platforms.

“We’re getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate,” the blog post read. “It’s not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms.”

This seemingly directly contradicts the recent pledge from Meta, as these topics are some of the hottest topics for hate speech.

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Kurt Robson

Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN with a diverse background across several prominent news outlets. Having transitioned into the world of technology journalism several years ago, Kurt has developed a keen fascination with all things AI. Kurt’s reporting blends a passion for innovation with a commitment to delivering insightful, accurate and engaging stories on the cutting edge of technology.
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