EU Internet Forum
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Social media companies launch upload filter to combat “terrorism and extremism”
A database set up jointly by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube aims to identify “terrorist and radicalising” content automatically and to remove it from these platforms.
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The tale of the fight for transparency in the EU Internet Forum
Chapter One: The dark knights at a secret meeting It was the beginning of the year 2014 when the European Commission first announced the creation of an “EU Internet Forum”. But it would take almost two years and several meetings before its official launch on 3 December 2015. The Forum’s mission: to “counter terrorist content […]
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Commission responds to Ombudsman investigation on EU Internet Forum
In April 2016, the European Ombudsman launched an investigation into the European Commission’s failure to disclose information of the “EU Internet Forum”. The EU Internet Forum brings together US internet companies (Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Google), government officials, and law enforcement agencies to discuss how to reduce the accessibility of undefined “terrorist material” and badly defined […]
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EDRi and Access Now withdraw from the EU Commission IT Forum discussions
Today, on 31 May, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Access Now delivered a joint statement on the EU Commission’s “EU Internet Forum”, announcing our decision not to take part in future discussions and confirming that we do not have confidence in the ill considered “code of conduct” that was agreed. Launched at the end of […]
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EU Commission under investigation for EU Internet Forum documents
In the past year, EDRi made numerous formal requests to get more information about the EU Internet Forum. This Forum was set up by the EU Commission to persuade companies to do “more” to fight terrorism. After months of obstruction from the European Commission, EDRi made a maladministration complaint to the European Ombudsman. As a […]
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Leaked EU Communication – Part 2: Protecting Google at all costs
While the European Commission talks tough about supporting European industry, much of what is in the leaked Communication on online platforms appears to be designed to protect Google and other online giants, to the detriment of competition and European innovation. “Fair payments” for copyright The Communication refers obtusely to the notion of “fair” distribution of […]
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Leaked EU Communication – Part 1: Privatised censorship and surveillance
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Subject to the principle of proportionality, limitations [to fundamental rights] may be made only if they are necessary and genuinely meet objectives of general interest recognised by the Union or the need to protect the rights and freedoms of others. A draft European Commission Communication on Platforms has been leaked. […]
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EU Internet Forum against terrorist content and hate speech online: Document pool
Since last year, we have been reporting on the “EU Internet Forum” set up by the European Commission to fight terrorism and hate speech online. In reality, the IT-Forum gathers two initiatives: one run by the Home Affairs Directorate General of the European Commission, on “terrorism”; and one run by the Justice and Consumers Directorate […]
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European Internet Forum – untransparent and dangerous
The European Internet Forum will finally be launched on 3 December by the European Commission. The purpose of the initiative is to fight terrorism by large online companies doing things that seem like they might be useful to fight terrorism. “It is fanciful to the point of being childish to believe that online giants are […]
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EU Commission: IT companies to fix “terrorist use of the Internet”
In August 2015, the European Commission confirmed to EDRi that it’s preparing to partner with US online companies to set up an “EU Internet Forum” which apparently includes discussing the monitoring and censorship of communications in Europe. Participants of this Forum include Facebook, Google/YouTube, Ask.fm, Microsoft and Twitter. The first meeting was held on 24 […]
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