March 1 (UPI) -- Concerned about the spread of violent and illegal content online, the European Union on Thursday called on web companies like Facebook and Google to quickly weed out harmful material.
The European Commission recommended a set of operational measures and safeguards to fight against all forms of illegal content -- including terrorist content, incitement to hatred and violence, child sexual abuse material, counterfeit products and copyright infringement.
"Online platforms are becoming people's main gateway to information, so they have a responsibility to provide a secure environment for their users," said Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip.
Among the specific provisions for curbing terrorist content online, the commission recommended a "one-hour rule" aimed at removing all illegal content within 60 minutes from its referral.
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The EU said although Internet companies remove about 70 percent of illegal hate speech within 24 hours, illegal content remains a "serious problem with great consequences for the security and safety of citizens and companies."
Other recommendations Thursday included an improved referral system, faster detection, effective removal and regular reporting.
The commission, responsible for managing day-to-day EU operations, said it will monitor action taken in response to the recommendations and determine if legislation will be required.
"Member States and companies will be required to submit relevant information on terrorist content within three months, and other illegal content within six months," the European Commission said.
"While several platforms have been removing more illegal content than ever before -- showing that self-regulation can work -- we still need to react faster against terrorist propaganda," Ansip said.
"What is illegal offline is also illegal online."
