Google, Meta win court fight against Austrian online content rule

Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms and TikTok on Thursday (Nov 9) won backing from Europe's top court in their fight against an Austrian law requiring them to delete hate speech or face fines of up to US$10.69 million.

Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms and TikTok on Thursday (Nov 9) won backing from Europe's top court in their fight against an Austrian law requiring them to delete hate speech or face fines of up to US$10.69 million.

The Austrian law, enacted in 2021 and which obliges Big Tech to publish regular reports of illegal content, comes amid mounting concerns worldwide about hateful posts.

The European Union recently adopted new rules called the Digital Services Act (DSA) which require large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful online content or risk fines up to 6 per cent of their annual turnover.

Google, Meta and TikTok challenged the Austrian law in an Austrian court, saying that it is contrary to an EU rule which says online service providers are only subject to the rules of the country where they are established, while countries where they provide a service must refrain from applying their laws.