Instagram joins crackdown on hate speech

Instagram is the latest tech company to promise a crackdown on hate speech following criticism that it was not doing enough to remove offensive posts from its app. 

The Facebook-owned tech company, along with Google+, has pledged to remove hate speech within 24 hours of it being reported, as part of the European Commission's code of conduct on illegal hate speech. 

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft's have already committed to the code, with encouraging results, the Commission claimed. 

"The Internet must be a safe place, free from illegal hate speech, free from xenophobic and racist content," said Vĕra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.

"The Code of Conduct is now proving to be a valuable tool to tackle illegal content quickly and efficiently.

"This shows that where there is a strong collaboration between technology companies, civil society and policy makers we can get results, and at the same time, preserve freedom of speech. 

"I expect IT companies to show similar determination when working on other important issues, such as the fight with terrorism, or unfavourable terms and conditions for their users."

Two thirds of hate speech reported by public bodies and non-governmental organisations had been removed, the Commission said.  The rate has steadily increased from 28 per cent in 2016 and 59 per cent in a second monitoring exercise in May 2017, it added. 

The companies reviewed the reports within a 24 hour window 80 per cent of the time, a figure that has doubled compared to the first monitoring round. 

Illegal hate speech is defined in EU law as the public incitement to violence or hatred directed to groups or individuals on the basis of certain characteristics, including race, colour, religion, descent and national or ethnic origin.

There were concerns that blanket removals may chip away at freedom of speech and lead to censorship.

But the Commission reiterated that the code could not be used to make tech giants remove hate speech that was not illegal. 

Facebook in particular has faced criticism for how it polices its social network. It recently apologised after its moderators failed to make the right decision almost half the time that deeply offensive posts were reported.