EU Backs Fines for Tech Firms Over Terror Propaganda
September 12 2018 - 6:06AM
Dow Jones News
By Sam Schechner
The European Union is proposing massive fines for online
providers that aren't fast enough in removing terrorist content
from their services, raising pressure on big tech firms like
Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google that have backed voluntary
approaches.
The block's executive arm Wednesday proposed new legislation
that would create a legal obligation for any online service to
remove terrorist content within an hour of being notified of its
presence, and to install automated systems to prevent removed
content from popping up again.
In March, the EU issued new guidelines ordering faster content
removal with the explicit threat of introducing legislation if
actions weren't taken fast enough.
"Systematic failures" to remove content within one hour would
expose companies to fines rising to a maximum of 4% of their
world-wide revenue for the prior year, according to the proposal.
For Alphabet that would be a maximum of $4.43 billion and for
Facebook it would be $1.63 billion.
"One hour is the decisive time window, when the greatest damage
can take place," said European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker during a speech Wednesday in the European Parliament.
Representatives of Google and Facebook didn't immediately
respond to requests for comment.
The imposition of obligations and heavy fines is a starkly new
approach for the EU, which is under pressure from member states to
act. Until now, the EU has asked for voluntary cooperation from
tech companies to speed up their removal of terrorist content from
their services.
Tech firms say they work hard to make sure they eliminate as
much terrorist content as possible from their services. Google and
Facebook have both invested heavily in using artificial
intelligence tools to flag potential terrorist content, and at
times to remove it automatically--particularly in the case of
content that had been previously removed. Facebook last year said
that 99% of the material it removes from Islamic State and al Qaeda
is blocked before it is seen by any users.
The EU said in January that big tech companies that were part of
its voluntary code of conduct companies had removed 70% of the
content notified to them by European authorities within 24 hours,
up from just 28% in mid 2016.
But political pressure has been rising from EU member states,
such as the U.K., France and Italy, to move faster--and to make
sure smaller tech platforms are obliged to comply as well.
EU officials also want to get ahead of plans in some member
countries to implement their own rules holding tech firms
responsible. Already, Germany requires social-media companies like
Facebook and Twitter Inc. to delete illegal content--ranging from
libel to terrorist content--or face fines of up to EUR50
million.
Separately, the EU's executive arm made another legislative
proposal Wednesday to better safeguard its elections from foreign
interference and online manipulation. The new rules would make
political parties and organizations liable for fines of up to 5% of
their annual budget if they are found in violation of EU privacy
laws in an effort to influence the outcome of EU elections.
Valentina Pop contributed to this article.
Write to Sam Schechner at sam.schechner@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 12, 2018 05:51 ET (09:51 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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