Effective 7 June 2022, the EU Regulation to counter the spread of terrorist content online entered into force, which provides for a legal framework to ensure that hosting service providers remove terrorist content online within one hour of its publication.
Safeguards for freedom of expression and the right to information are also provided, such as the exemption of materials disseminated for educational, journalistic, artistic or research purposes EU. Member States can autonomously decide the amount of penalties, in proportion to the nature of the infringement.
The new rules also establish transparency obligations for online platforms and require national authorities to report annually on the amount of terrorist contents removed, outcomes of complaints and appeals, as well as the number and type of sanctions imposed on online platforms.
Regulation 2021/784/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 (published in the Official Journal of the EU on 17 May 2021)