Ad
EU ruling could have "chilling effect" on free speech, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said (Photo: Amy Osborne / Getty Images)

EU states given right to police Facebook worldwide

National courts in EU states can order Facebook to delete content "worldwide", Europe's top tribunal has ruled, in what the US social media giant called an attack on free speech.

If content was deemed "illegal" by a national court, then Facebook could be ordered to "remove information covered by the injunction or to block access to that information worldwide", the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said in Luxembourg on Thursday (3 October).

That meant, for instance, that if a cour...

Get EU news that matters

Back our independent journalism by becoming a supporting member

Already a member? Login here

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

EU ruling could have "chilling effect" on free speech, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said (Photo: Amy Osborne / Getty Images)

Tags

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

Ad

Related articles

Ad
Ad