Blog
Improving Your Counter-Terrorism Response: An Introduction to the Guide on the European Regulation on Addressing the Dissemination of Terrorist Content Online
October 18, 2023
By Sophia Rothut, Heidi Schulze, Diana Rieger, Catherine Bouko, Brigitte Naderer The European regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online (TCO Regulation) is, like the DSA, an approach to combating the spread of terrorist content online that is (1) transnational (EU-wide) and (2) holds Hosting Service Providers (HSPs) accountable. According to this regulation, ...
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The EU Internet Referral Unit (IRU): Addressing terrorist content online
June 21, 2023
By Camille Antunes Online platforms and social media channels have given new opportunities for terrorists to reach more audiences, significantly enhancing their ability to radicalise and recruit. As a result, online monitoring has become vital to prevent the dissemination of violent extremist and terrorist content online that can contribute to radicalisation, and counter-terrorism operations. As ...
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The European Union Moves to Fight Terrorist Content Online
July 7, 2021
By The Soufan Centre On June 7, 2021, the European Union (EU) adopted new rules, known as the Terrorist Content Online Regulation (2021/784), targeting the online dissemination of terrorist content. The new rules are the most aggressive effort to date by the EU to compel hosting service providers to remove terrorist content. There is little doubt that ...
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Tech Against Terrorism Response to the EU’s Terrorist Content Online Regulation
June 30, 2021
By Tech Against Terrorism Support mechanisms, legal certainty, and safeguards needed to avoid negative impact On 28 April the EU Parliament announced that the regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online had been approved. On 7 June, the law, which was initially introduced by the Commission and has gone through several iterations, entered into force and ...
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Preventing the Far-right Extremism “Wave” in Europe: Contemporary Policies and Future Trajectories
May 19, 2021
By Inés Bolaños Somoano Old threats, new threats Has the European Union “won” the fight against terrorism? Yes and no. Australia’s Institute for Economic & Peace’s Global Terrorism Index 2020 highlights how global deaths from terrorism have fallen for a fifth consecutive year, but also warns of a new terrorism “wave”: far-right attacks have increased ...
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False Commentary and Blinkered Perspectives Hampering TCO Progress
June 17, 2020
This is the first in a series of posts and responses addressing the EU’s regulation on online terrorist content; the second post is HERE and the third HERE. [Ed.] By Lucinda Creighton Never before has a situation demonstrated such a broad consensus for taking extra measures to regulate content online as the coronavirus has. At the same ...
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Understanding the Human Rights Risks Associated with Internet Referral Units
March 26, 2020
By Jason Pielemeier and Chris Sheehy Since 2010, a small number of European governments have created formal, government structures for flagging alleged terrorist content directly to companies for voluntary removal under their respective terms and conditions. A review of these Internet Referral Units (IRUs) conducted by the Global Network Initiative, with help from Harvard Law ...
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From the French Revolution, the First Amendment and the Third Reich to Twitter and Facebook: The Impact of Legal Histories on the Fight Against Online Extremism – Part 1: France
February 12, 2020
By Nery Ramati The need to develop legal tools in order to cope with the dangers of online extremism and terrorism has been an issue that has kept legislators, government officials, and security forces around the globe very busy in recent years. In liberal democracies, the legal challenges are intensified due to the obvious dangers ...
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Big Tech is Overselling AI as the Solution to Online Extremism
February 6, 2019
By Kyle Matthews & Nicolai Pogadl In mid-September 2017 the European Union threatened to fine the Big Tech companies if they did not remove terrorist content within one hour of appearing online. The change came because rising tensions are now developing and being played out on social media platforms. Social conflicts that once built up in ...
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The EU Commission on Voluntary Monitoring: Good Samaritan 2.0 or Good Samaritan 0.5?
December 26, 2018
By Aleksandra Kuczerawy The European Commission is encouraging Internet intermediaries to take up more proactive stance in fighting illegal content online. Voluntary measures may lead, however, to the loss of a liability exemption offered by the E-Commerce Directive. The Commission attempts to convince the intermediaries that this would not be the case, and discusses the ...