An Overview of Existing Initiatives & Policies: 

  1. Germany’s NetzDG: This law mandates social media companies to remove illegal content, including hate speech and extremist propaganda, within 24 hours of notification. It imposes heavy fines for non-compliance and requires regular transparency reports from platforms. (Appendix i  - How to stop extremist propaganda on social media - which regulation is needed?)

    Source: https://www.bmj.de/DE/themen/digitales/digitale_kommunikation/netz_dg/netz_dg_node.html

  2. The Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material) Act 2019 in Australia was created following the Christchurch terrorist attack in March 2019, where the perpetrator live-streamed the act on social media. This law is designed to stop the spread of violent content on the internet by placing strict responsibilities on online platforms and hosting services. 

    Failure to promptly remove the content can result in companies being fined up to 10% of their annual turnover. In addition, executives of these companies could face a maximum of three years in prison.

    Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2019A00038/asmade/text

  3. The Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union mandates that platforms must establish unambiguous terms of service concerning illegal content, conduct frequent risk evaluations, and offer clear procedures for content removal and appeals. (Appendix i  - How to stop extremist propaganda on social media - which regulation is needed?)

    Source:https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en

  4. The National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, which was published in June 2021, aims to combat the increasing threat of domestic terrorism in the United States. This comprehensive plan provides a government-wide framework for preventing, detecting, and responding to domestic terrorist activities, with a strong focus on cooperation among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities, as well as engagement with private sector and civil society organizations. 

    The National Security Council oversees the strategy's implementation, ensuring a unified approach across federal agencies. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are responsible for leading efforts to disrupt and prosecute domestic terrorism activities, improve interagency collaboration, and support state and local law enforcement.

    Source:https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/National-Strategy-for-Countering-Domestic-Terrorism.pdf