In a major blow to big internet platforms, Europe’s top court said on Thursday that an individual country can order Facebook to take down posts, photographs and videos and restrict global access to that material – a move that places more responsibility on internet platforms to patrol their sites for content ruled illegal.

The decision by the European Court of Justice means social networks like Facebook will be required to remove defamatory material hosted on their sites if they are aware that the content is harmful to an individual’s reputation. It also means national authorities can ask social networks and other platforms to take down material that has been judged to be defamatory or “equivalent” to defamatory content.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]