22
January
2026
Regulating online terrorist content – Balancing public safety and fundamental rights
Online terrorist content is a threat to fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy. EU measures to tackle such content aim to prevent terrorism while upholding these values. FRA’s report looks at how online terrorist content is detected and removed under EU legislation. It highlights challenges in interpreting rules, risks of over-removal and potential impacts on freedom of expression. It finds that moderation practices by authorities and platforms can disproportionately affect certain groups, such as Muslims and Arabic speakers, while far-right content often receives less scrutiny. The findings, based on research and expert interviews with those addressing online terrorist content, offer ways to improve transparency in content moderation and to better balance public security and fundamental rights, contributing to wider debates on regulating online content responsibly.
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- Foreword
- List of promising practices
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Key findings and FRA opinions
- Ensure clarity of the definition of terrorist content and the foreseeability of its application
- Avoid incentivising HSPs to over-remove content
- Avoid discriminatory impact on particular groups
- Enhance the transparency of the use of the regulation
- Strengthen the effectiveness of the regulation in line with the proportionality principle
- Increase the effectiveness of safeguards and remedies
- Support the application of the regulation in line with fundamental rights through further guidance, training and awareness-raising
- Introduction
- 1. Defining terrorist content online
- 2. Removal orders and referrals
- 3. The regulation and HSP content moderation
- 4. Selected safeguards and remedies
- Conclusion
- Annex: Methodology
- Acronyms and Abbreviations
- About this publication
- CharterEuropean Union Charter of Fundamental Rights
- CJEUCourt of Justice of the European Union
- DSADigital Services Act
- ECHREuropean Convention on Human Rights
- ECtHREuropean Court of Human Rights
- EDPSEuropean Data Protection Supervisor
- EUEuropean Union
- EuropolEuropean Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation
- FRAEuropean Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
- GIFCTGlobal Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
- HSPhosting service provider
- PERCIEU Platform on Illicit Content Online
- TCOTerrorist Content Online
- UNUnited Nations
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