EU to tech companies: You're going to have to start taking responsibility for hate speech

In a move that would mark a major turning point for how governments regulate what is posted on online, European Union ministers have voted to establish a universal set of content rules companies like Facebook would be forced to follow. 

The vote, which came on Tuesday, is not the final step; EU Parliament still has to give its final okay for the proposal to become law. But it's a major step towards putting serious new regulations that companies will need to address.

If passed, the rules would be the broadest content regulations yet put on tech platforms. Companies like Facebook and Google struggle to police the massive platforms they have built. A recent leak of Facebook documents provided a look at just how difficult it is for the social network to police its nearly two billion users. They're not alone in that challenge.  Read more...