Following extensive negotiations with British online safety regulator Ofcom, social media platform X announced a landmark agreement Tuesday securing the right to leave up to 15 percent of illegal terrorist content and hate speech entirely unmoderated.
LONDON — Following extensive negotiations with British online safety regulator Ofcom, social media platform X announced a landmark agreement Tuesday securing the right to leave up to 15 percent of illegal terrorist content and hate speech entirely unmoderated.
Under the terms of the settlement, the company also legally cemented a 48-hour grace period for the remaining 85 percent of reported terror material, ensuring extremist organizations have two full days to reach their target demographic and maximize algorithm engagement before the platform is required to look at the posts.
We are thrilled to reach an agreement with Ofcom that legally protects 15 percent of the platform's hate speech from regulatory overreach.
To maintain compliance with the new safety framework, X has agreed to consult with industry experts to carefully calibrate its reporting systems, ensuring that its automated filters do not accidentally assess more than the agreed-upon 85 percent threshold. Regulators noted that precisely tracking the remaining unmoderated terror content will be vital for the platform's operational transparency and commitment to free expression.
Over the next 12 months, X will submit quarterly performance data to Ofcom to prove they are consistently hosting the required volume of unchecked illegal activity. According to the regulator, if X fails to maintain the 15 percent baseline of uninhibited hate speech, or accidentally removes a designated terror group's recruitment video before its 48-hour viral window expires, the company could face severe financial penalties.