Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has found that services operated by tech companies TikTok, X and Meta are “exposed to terrorist content”.
The regulator said on Wednesday that the three companies would have to take specific measures to protect their services from being used for the dissemination of terrorist content. They will have to report to Coimisiún na Meán on the specific measures taken within three months.
Coimisiún na Meán said infringement of the Terrorist Content Online Regulation could lead to heavy fines being imposed of up to four per cent of global turnover.
In a statement on Wednesday the media regulator published a decision made in respect of the three hosting service providers under the Terrorist Content Online Regulation.
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It said Coimisiún na Meán had determined that TikTok, X and Meta (in respect of Instagram) services were “exposed to terrorist content”.
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
“The Terrorist Content Online Regulation, which is one part of Coimisiún na Meán’s Online Safety Framework, provides an EU-wide mechanism for counteracting the dissemination of terrorist content online and enabling the speedy removal of terrorist content by hosting service providers.”
“Under the Terrorist Content Online Regulation, hosting service providers which receive two or more final removal orders from EU competent authorities within the last 12 months may be determined as being exposed to terrorist content. An Coimisiún has reached this decision following the notification of two or more final removal orders in respect of these three providers and following engagement with these providers.”
Coimisiún na Meán said it would “supervise and assess the mitigation actions taken by the providers”.
“Where An Coimisiún considers that the specific measures taken do not comply with legislative requirements, An Coimisiún will address a decision to the hosting service provider requiring it to take the necessary measures so as to ensure that legislative provisions are complied with.”
The regulator said that infringement by hosting service providers of the Terrorist Content Online Regulation could lead to the imposition of administrative fines, including financial penalties of up to four per cent of global turnover.
“Coimisiún na Meán’s Online Safety Framework consists of the Terrorist Content Online Regulation, the Digital Services Act, and the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, the basis for our Online Safety Code”.
“An Coimisiún advises users of online services who see suspected terrorist content to report that content to the platform where they have seen it, and to report any content which could be a threat to life to An Garda Síochána.”
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