The European Commission has sent out expansive guidelines aimed at Facebook, Google, and other tech companies on removing terrorist and other illegal content online. The commission outlined recommendations, which apply to all forms of illegal content, including terrorist media, child sexual abuse, counterfeit products, copyright infringement, and material that incites hatred and violence. The recommendations also specify clearer procedures, more efficient tools, and stronger safeguards including human oversight and verification, so something that’s incorrectly flagged can be restored...

The commission is suggesting these operational measures as a soft law before it decides whether or not to propose legislation. The recommendations are non-binding, but they can still be used as legal references in court...

Facebook previously said it wants to be a “hostile place” for terrorists and is using a mix of AI and human intervention to root out terrorist content. YouTube also announced new steps last year including automated systems and additional flaggers to fight extremism on its platform. In 2016, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and YouTube signed an EU code of conduct on countering hate speech online.