Top European Court Rules Against Facebook Which May Be Asked To Remove Harmful Content All Across The World

The European Court of Justice, which is the European Union’s top court, has ruled that Facebook may be asked to remove harmful content all across the globe.

It has ruled that national courts in Europe can order online platforms to remove defamatory content worldwide.

The court stated that EU law “does not preclude” courts from ordering “the removal of information or to block access worldwide”.

The judgment, which cannot be appealed, will now be used as a reference all across Europe.

The decision is being seen as a victory for EU regulators who are keen to see US tech giants meet tightened European standards on hate speech as well as offensive content.

The latest case was brought originally to an Austrian court by a Greens Party politician Eva Glawischnig, who requested the removal of Facebook posts which judges found defamed her.

After this decision, Facebook and similar platforms are likely to face a greater obligation to monitor their content and take down content found to be offensive or hateful all across the globe.

The ruling said that Facebook is not liable for stored information if it has no knowledge of its illegal nature or if it acts expeditiously to remove or to disable access to that information as soon as it becomes aware of it.