First results published under revised EU code on illegal hate speech

The European Commission has published the first results from monitoring exercises conducted under the revised Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online, which is part of the EU’s regulatory framework.

The results combine two elements. The first is a monitoring exercise measuring how quickly platforms respond to notifications of alleged illegal hate speech. The second is a self-assessment submitted by participating platforms, outlining how they address such content.

The monitoring exercise took place between November and December 2025. Of the platforms involved, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube received relevant notifications during the reporting period.

According to the findings, these platforms generally continued to review most reported content within 24 hours and provided feedback to those submitting notifications. The monitoring process is designed to assess whether platforms meet their commitment to review at least half of such reports within that timeframe.

The results also indicate that many reported cases were classified as disputed or incorrect by platforms, with some errors linked to the use of inappropriate reporting channels.

The monitoring exercise is conducted as a form of “mystery shopping”, where independent organisations submit reports to test how platforms respond in practice.

The revised Code builds on earlier commitments made by platforms since 2016 and is now recognised under the Digital Services Act. For the largest platforms, compliance with the Code is subject to independent audits and contributes to assessing their obligations under EU law.

The Commission has published the results to support transparency and inform further improvements ahead of the next monitoring cycle.