A safer Europe: Portuguese Presidency fulfils its goal


 20 maio 2021 Portuguese Presidencydigital platforms
A safer Europe: Portuguese Presidency fulfils its goal

The Regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online, published on 17 May in the Official Journal of the EU enters into force on 6 June and will apply from 7 June 2022.

 
It establishes common rules to combat the use of digital platforms to spread terrorist messages - contributing to the defence of public security with solid guarantees of defence of fundamental rights. These standards aim, among other objectives, to identify such terrorist content and allow its rapid elimination, as well as to facilitate cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States, digital platforms and Europol.
 
Online service providers are obliged to clearly define, in their terms and conditions, the respective policy to combat the spread of terrorist content. Both the competent authorities and these digital services companies also have to publish annual transparency reports.
 
Systematic or persistent failure by digital service providers to remove terrorist content - within one hour - is subject to financial penalties by Member States of up to 4% of their turnover.
 
The conclusion of this legislative process was one of the main priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the area of home affairs, giving Member States a common instrument to prevent terrorist groups from using the Internet to radicalise, recruit and incite violence.