AdobeStock@Дмитрий Ногаев
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.


  • Aligning the interpretation of the regulation among competent authorities through regular workshops, Section 1.1
  • Implementing external oversight when issuing removal orders, Section 1.2
  • Additional measures to safeguard media independence, Section 1.3
  • Supporting hosting service providers (HSPs) through terrorist content online capacity-building projects, Section 2.1.4
  • Supporting transparency through enhanced reporting, Section 2.2.1
  • Systematically monitoring the impact of own content moderation policies on removals and complaints, Section 3.1.4
  • Providing additional information on specific measures to HSPs at the national level, Section 3.2.1
  • Integrating information on remedies into the EU Platform on Illicit Content Online (PERCI), Section 4.2