Terrorist networks have grown highly prone to the use of the internet for spreading their propaganda and recruiting followers in recent years. Although the fear of the general public of terrorist attacks certainly puts considerable pressure on policy makers, politicians also strategically use the climate of diffuse anxieties to increase the securitisation of the internet and present themselves as capable, tough leaders. The latest example of such election-motivated policy making is the proposal for a Regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online, with which the European Commission continues its trend of producing a watershed of “solutions” to terrorist propaganda on the internet.
The proposal contains three main measures to address alleged “terrorist” content:
- First, it creates orders issued by (undefined) national authorities to remove or disable access to illegal terrorist content within an hour.
- Second, competent authorities can choose to make referrals of terrorist-related potential breaches of companies’ terms of service that would be subject to the voluntary consideration of the companies themselves.
- Third, it legislates on (undefined) proactive measures that can lead to an authority requesting a general monitoring obligation.
A major concern for the functioning and freedom of the internet is the extension of the upload filter regime the EU is currently about to introduce for copyright to terrorist content. Requiring internet companies to monitor everything we say on the web does not only have grave implications for the freedom of speech, but it also follows a dangerous path of outsourcing and privatising law enforcement.
EDRi will follow the developments of the Terrorist Content Regulation closely and critically in the next months and provide crucial input to policy makers to ensure that human rights are fully respected in the proposal.
EDRi’s analysis and recommendations
Legislative documents
EDRi’s blogposts and press releases
Other
Key Policy Makers

EDRi’s analysis and recommendations:
- EDRi Amendments on the proposal for a Regulation to prevent the dissemination of terrorist content online (16.01.2019)
- Recommendations for the European Parliament’s Draft Report on the Regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (December 2018)
Legislative documents:
- Regulation Of The European Parliament And Of The Council on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (12.09.2018)
- Commission Impact Assessment on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council
on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (12.09.2018) - Council General Approach on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online (03.12.2018)
- European Parliament’s position:
- Committee Opinions:
- LIBE Draft Report
- Amendments 36 – 178 (.doc) (25.02.2019)
- Amendments 179 – 359 (.doc) (25.02.2019)
- Amendments 348 – 741 (.doc) (25.02.2019)
- LIBE Compromise Amendments (.pdf) (05.03.2019)
- LIBE Compromise Amendments (.pdf) (04.04.2019)
- Voting list for the vote in 1st reading in Plenary on 17 April 2019 and related AMs (16.04.2019).
- Results of the votes in Plenary on 17.04.2019 : Roll call votes (pager 87-122) and Voting List (page 16, item 30) (18.04.2019)
- Update!! European Parliament Draft Report – Provisional text (.pdf)
- IMCO Draft Opinion
- IMCO Amendments 98-403 (.doc)
- CULT Draft Opinion
- CULT Amendments (22.02.2019). See AMs 53-173 (.doc) and 174-415 (.doc)
- CULT adopted Opinion (13.03.2019)
- LIBE Draft Report
- Committee Opinions:
EDRi’s blogposts and press releases:
- Trilogues on terrorist content: Upload or re-upload filters? Eachy peachy (17.10.2019)
- Terrorist Content Regulation: Successful “damage control” by LIBE Committee (08.04.2019)
- FRA and EDPS: The Terrorist Content Regulation requires improvement for fundamental rights (20.02.2019)
- Civil Society Letter on the Terrorist Content Database (05.02.2019)
- Terrorist Content: LIBE Rapporteur’s Draft Report lacks ambition (25.01.2019)
- CULT: Fundamental rights missing in the Terrorist Content Regulation (21.01.2019)
- Terrorist Content: IMCO draft Opinion sets the stage right for EP (18.01.2019)
- Terrorist Content Regulation: Warnings from the UN and the CoE (19.12.2018)
- The EU Council’s general approach on Terrorist Content Online proposal: A step towards pre-emptive censorship (11.12.2018)
- Terrorist content regulation – prior authorisation for all uploads? (21.11.2018)
- The TERR Committee votes on its irreparable draft Report (21.11.2018)
- EU’s flawed arguments on terrorist content give big tech more power (24.10.2018)
- EU Parliament’s anti-terrorism draft Report raises major concerns (10.10.2018)
- Joint Press Release: EU Terrorism Regulation – an EU election tactic (12.9.2018)
- Anatomy of a Commission press campaign. Case study: Terrorist Content Regulation (11.9.2018)
- ENDitorial: The European Commission is talking “tough on terror”. Again. (29.08.2018)
- ENDitorial: Draconian anti-terrorism measures instil terror (26.07.2018)
- European Parliament – fighting terrorism with closed-door secrecy (07.02.2018
- Can we be sure EU terrorism policies respect human rights? (24.01.2018)
- Infographics: Legislative Procedure in the European Parliament
- Terrorism Directive: Document pool (24.11.2016)
Other:
- Daphne Keller: “The CJEU’s new filtering case, the Terrorist Content Regulation, and the future of filtering mandates in the EU “ (02.12.2019)
- Fundamental Rights Agency Opinion on the Terrorist Content Regulation (12.02.2019)
- Analysis from the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism (07.12.2018)
- Press Release: Commission announces the new Terrorist Content Regulation (12.09.2018)
Key Policy Makers:
- Committee responsible: LIBE Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Rapporteur: Patryk Jaki (Appointed 04/09/2019)
- Shadow Rapporteurs: Javier Zarzalejos (EPP), Marina Kaljurand (S&D), Maite Pagazaurtundua Ruiz (ALDE), Patrick Breyer(Greens/EFA), Cornelia Ernst (GUE/NGL)
Opinion Committees:
- IMCO Internal Market and Consumer Protection
- Rapporteur: Julia Reda (Greens/EFA)
- Shadow Rapporteurs: Eva Maydell (EPP), Lucy Anderson (S&D), Daniel Dalton (ECR), Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE)
- CULT Culture and Education
- Rapporteur: Julie Ward (S&D)
- Shadow Rapporteurs: Svetoslav Hristov Malinov (EPP), Yana Toom (ALDE), Martina Michels (GUE/NGL), Emma McClarkin (ECR)
Key Dates*:
*(note that these dates are TBC and subject to changes):
- LIBE Committee (Lead Committee)
Deadline for Amendments: 15 FebruaryConsideration of AMs: 7 MarchShadow meetings: 5-6 March or 11-12 March- Date updated on 29 March! Vote in LIBE Committee of the Report:
21 March2 April8 April - Vote in Plenary (1st reading): 15-18 April
- CULT Committee
Consideration of Draft Opinion:; : 4 FebruaryDeadline for amendments: 6 February- Vote of the Opinion: 11 March
- IMCO Committee
- LIBE Committee (Lead Committee)
