On Tuesday 6 December, the European Commission drew up an initial mixed balance sheet for the new code of conduct for major Internet providers. This code seeks to combat online radical content.
This code of conduct was launched at the end of last May that involves companies such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft. It stipulates that notification of violent content inciting hatred and all radicalism must be treated within 24-hour period (see EUROPE 11562).
Moreover, according to this first assessment, only 40% of all notifications are managed in a 24-hour period despite the fact that they are all supposed to be processed within this deadline. The preliminary results also revealed that 28% of the 600 notifications of illegal content resulted in withdrawals. 43% of responses arrived after 48 hours.
12 NGOs involved in the fight against racism and xenophobia took part in this experiment and analysed the responses provided to the notifications. The majority of notifications involved Facebook (270 notifications), Twitter (163) and Youtube (123). Notifications primarily focused on anti-Semitic and islamophobic content, then on the nationality of the individuals involved.
28% of cases on the social networking site Facebook, proceeded to the withdrawal of radical and violent content contained on it (19.1% for Twitter and 48.5% for Youtube).
The Commission report will be submitted to Ministers for Justice on Thursday 8 December and the next assessment will occur in 2017. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)