BRUSSELS: Social media giants including X and Facebook have agreed to step up efforts to tackle hate speech in the EU, the bloc said on Monday as its digital rules face scrutiny with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube were also among the 12 platforms that signed a strengthened, though still voluntary, code of conduct to fight what the 27-nation bloc considers illegal hate speech, the European Commission said.

“In Europe there is no place for illegal hate, either offline or online,” said Henna Virkkunen, the commission’s vice president for tech sovereignty. “Cooperation among all parties involved is the way forward to ensure a safe digital space for all.”

EU rules requiring tech firms to police online content have come under pressure since Trump — an avid social media user who has long railed at alleged left-wing bias in content moderation — was re-elected as US president in November.

Trump’s allies, notably X owner Elon Musk, have denounced the landmark set of rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) as a tool of censorship. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Instagram and Facebook-owner Meta, accused the EU of curtailing free speech earlier this month, aligning with the stance of the incoming US administration.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2025