Social media firms have increased removals of online hate speech

BRUSSELS (Reuters) Social media companies like canada goose black friday sale Facebook, Twitter and Google canadian goose jacket YouTube have stepped up both the speed and number of removals of hate speech on their platforms in response to pressure from the European Union to do more to tackle the issue, according to the results Canada Goose Coats On Sale of an EU evaluation.

3D printed Facebook and Twitter logos are seen in this picture illustration made in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Facebook won particular praise for reviewing most canada goose outlet toronto factory complaints within a 24 hour canada goose outlet vancouver target timeframe set down in a code of conduct agreed in December by the European Commission, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube.

Calling the results for the Commission push for self regulation, Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said the proportion of offending items taken down had doubled and action was being taken more quickly than when the EU checked six months ago.

. shows that a self regulatory approach canada goose clearance sale can work, if all actors do their part. At the same time, companies. need to 2018 canada goose outlet make further progress to deliver on all the commitments, Jourova said in a statement, adding Canada Goose sale that firms should provide more feedback Canada Goose online to people who brought abuses to their attention.

Facebook scored highly buy canada goose jacket on this, Twitter and YouTube less so.

The voluntary code of conduct obliges firms to take action in Europe within 24 hours. It follows rising concerns about the canada goose outlet store locations proliferation of racist and xenophobic cheap Canada Goose content on social media triggered by the refugee crisis and attacks in Western Europe.

This includes removing or disabling access to the content if necessary, better cooperation with canada goose coats civil society organizations and the promotion of to hate speech.

Facebook assessed notifications of hateful content in less than 24 hours in Canada Goose Online 58 percent of cases, up from 50 percent in December, according to canada goose deals the report.

Logo of the Twitter and Facebook are seen through magnifier on display in this illustration taken in Sarajevo, canada goose clearance Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Twitter also sped up its dealing with notifications, reviewing 39 percent of them in less than 24 hours, as opposed to 23.5 percent in December, when the Commission first reviewed the companies progress and warned them they were being canada goose store too slow.

the past six months, we introduced a host of new tools and features to improve Twitter for everyone. We also improved the in app buy canada goose jacket cheap reporting process for our users and we continue to review and iterate on our policies and their enforcement. Our work will never be said Karen White, Twitter head of public policy for Europe.

YouTube, on the other hand, slowed down, canada goose coats on sale reviewing 42.6 percent of notifications in less than 24 hours, down from 60.8 percent in December, the results showed.

Commission self regulatory approach is pragmatic and focused canada goose on action. We learned a lot from the process and will continue to Canada Goose Outlet invest heavily in people and systems to address these issues, said YouTube head of public policy Juniper Downs.

All the companies significantly increased the number of removals. Overall, content was removed in 59.2 Canada Goose Parka percent of cases, more than double the rate in December which was 28.2 percent.

The proliferation of hate speech on social media has increased pressure on the companies to remove the content swiftly as they face the prospect of legislation at both EU and national level.

Last week EU ministers canada goose replica approved plans to force social networks to take measures to block videos with hateful content while the German government approved a plan in April to fine companies up to 50 million euros if they fail to remove hateful postings quickly.

The most common ground of hate speech the Commission identified was xenophobia, including expressions of hatred against migrants and refugees, together with expeditionparkaoutlets anti Muslim hatred, Canada Goose Jackets followed by ethnic origin.