Ireland Orders X, TikTok & Instagram To Cut Terrorist Content

Uploaded on 2024-11-20 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Social Media, FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Services-Law

Elon Musk’s X, TikTok and Meta’s Instagram have been ordered by Irish media regulators to take “necessary measures” to prevent terrorist content being allowed on their platforms in order to comply with sweeping new online safety legislation.

The organisation has issued the decision following the notification of removal orders to these platforms from EU authorities.

The companies must now take specific measures to prevent their services from being used for the dissemination of terrorist content and to report on the measures they have taken.The Irish media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán (CNAM), said it issued the ruling after its investigations determined that the social media networks were “exposed to terrorist content” due to weak processes.

The European Commission has opened a range of investigations into online platforms since the new Digital Services Act relating to online harms came into force but Ireland’s media regulator plays a particularly important role given the tech companies’ EU headquarters are all sited in Dublin.

Such rulings come when a network is subjected to at least two removal orders from EU competent authorities, usually the police, but sometimes a regulator, in the preceding 12 months. Orders under the EU terrorist content online regulation usually require the removal of content within an hour of the order.

The Irish media commission gave the social media platforms 12 weeks to make “effective, targeted and proportionate” measures to stop terrorist content while at the same time respecting freedom of speech rights.

The regulator said that terrorist content was defined in EU law as material that:

Incites the commission of terrorist offences, such as by the glorification of terrorist acts.

Advocates the commission of terrorist offences.

Solicits a person or a group of people to commit or contribute to the commission of terrorist offences.

Incites, solicits, threatens or provides instruction on the commission of terrorist offences.

Solicits a person or a group of people to participate in the activities of a terrorist group.

Provides instruction on the making or use of explosives, firearms, or other weapons, or noxious or hazardous substances, or other specific methods or techniques for the purpose of committing or contributing to the commission of terrorist offences.

Constitutes a threat to commit a terrorist offence.

“TikTok, X and Meta (in respect of Instagram) will be obliged to take specific measures to protect their services from being used for the dissemination of terrorist content, and to report to CNAM on the specific measures taken within three months from the receipt of the decision,” it said in a statement.

Amongst the measures they must take are the inclusion in their terms and conditions of use provisions to address misuse of the platforms. If the Irish commission deems the measures are not sufficient it can impose fines of up to 4% of global revenue.

Concern about terrorist content across many social media platforms has been heightened after the Hamas attacks on Israel and arrests in Germany relating to an alleged coup plot.

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