The European Union (EU) executive's warning comes six months after the companies signed up to a voluntary code of conduct to take action in Europe within 24 hours, following rising concerns triggered by the refugee crisis and terror attacks. This included removing or disabling access to the content if necessary, better cooperation with civil society organizations and the promotion of "counter-narratives" to hate speech.

The code of conduct is largely a continuation of efforts that the companies already take to counter hate speech on their websites, such as developing tools for people to report hateful content and training staff to handle such requests.

"If Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft want to convince me and the ministers that the non-legislative approach can work, they will have to act quickly and make a strong effort in the coming months," Jourova told the Financial Times. Jourova's report showed an uneven pace across the 28-country bloc, with the removal rate of racist posts in Germany and France above 50 percent, but just 11 percent in Austria and 4 percent in Italy.

EU justice ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss the report on Thursday. They are also expected to ask the companies to clarify issues including taking down "terrorist propaganda" and helping provide evidence to convict foreign fighters.

There's so much hate out there. The EU has decided they're going to do something about it, god damn it. All of the damned, fucking, voters running astray this year must have the autocrats going apeshit trying to figure out ways to suppress populism. As such, the EU is demanding that US tech giants comply with their demands to curtail 'hate speech' else be literally forced to do so -- according to law. The laws are designed to protect migrants streaming into the EU, raping and pillaging along the way. Europeans, you must comply. source: ReutersSuch as propaganda, like the correct the record shills ? Counter-narratives.The EU Justice Commission wants tech companies to censor speech at a much faster pace than the current 80% after 48 hours. Permitting 20% of speech that is deemed hateful to be disseminated after 48 hours is 20% too much, according to the Commissioner Vera Jourova.Coincidentally, the Italians just told the EU to fuck off this evening, voting against the referendum. I suppose they're all a bunch of racist bastards.How nice of them to also include the censorship of terrorists. Kiss your free speech goodbye Europe. The EU has gone full Soviet Union with the aim to suppress freedom of expression.

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