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Terrorist content is defined as material that incites the commission of terrorist offences, according to the EU.
Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM), Ireland’s media watchdog, has determined that sites TikTok, X and Meta-owned Instagram have been exposed to terrorist content.
Following CnaM’s announcement yesterday (13 November), the three social media giants must now take certain measures to prevent their services from being used for the sharing of this type of content.
Terrorist content as defined in EU law includes content that incites, advocates for or threatens the commission of terrorist offences, or provides instructions on making or use of explosives, firearms or hazardous substances for the purposes of committing a terrorist offence.
Under the Terrorist Content Online Regulation, hosting service providers that have received two or more final removal orders from EU competent authorities within the last 12 months may be determined as being exposed to terrorist content.
Following its decision, CnaM will supervise and assess the mitigating actions taken by the tech companies. Where CnaM considers that the specific measures taken do not comply with legislative requirements, it will issue a decision to the hosting service provider requiring it to take the necessary measures in order to ensure that the legislation is complied with.
In September, CnaM gained the power to impose financial penalties on internet companies that fail to remove online terrorist content quickly. Under the regulation, hosting companies will have a legal obligation to remove the content in question within one hour of receiving a removal order. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to 4pc of global turnover.
Last month, CnaM officially adopted the Online Safety Code after being in development for more than a year. This code applies to 10 designated video-sharing giants – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Udemy, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Tumblr and Reddit – headquartered in Ireland. The code means the video-sharing platforms are obligated to protect users, especially minors from harmful content.
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