Regulatory mechanisms

Amy-Louise Watkin

Regulatory mechanisms

Amy-Louise Watkin^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Education and Social Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

After a period of limited voluntary cooperative measures and failed self-regulation, legislative means were required to ensure industry-wide efforts to counter online extremist and terrorist content on tech platforms. Two main types of regulatory strategies have emerged: 1) a content takedown approach, with increasingly short removal timeframes; and 2) a systemic risk-based approach. This chapter will discuss several concerns and critiques of both approaches by reviewing Germany’s NetzDG Act, the EU Regulation on Terrorist Content Online, the UK’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Safety Act, and the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism
Editors	Suraj Lakhani, Julian Droogan, Lydia Khalil, Stuart Macdonald
Publisher	Routledge
Chapter	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781003517917
ISBN (Print)	9781032853529
Publication status	Published - 29 Sept 2026

Keywords

social media
regulation
content takedown
systemic risk
voluntary measures

Access to Document

https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Online-Violent-Extremism/Lakhani-Droogan-Khalil-Macdonald/p/book/9781032853529

Embargoed Document

2025 07 22 Watkin Regulatory accepted - for Pure
Accepted author manuscript, 239 KB
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND
Embargo ends: 29/03/2028 00:00 BST

Cite this

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AB - After a period of limited voluntary cooperative measures and failed self-regulation, legislative means were required to ensure industry-wide efforts to counter online extremist and terrorist content on tech platforms. Two main types of regulatory strategies have emerged: 1) a content takedown approach, with increasingly short removal timeframes; and 2) a systemic risk-based approach. This chapter will discuss several concerns and critiques of both approaches by reviewing Germany’s NetzDG Act, the EU Regulation on Terrorist Content Online, the UK’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Safety Act, and the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act.

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KW - regulation

KW - content takedown

KW - systemic risk

KW - voluntary measures

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9781032853529

BT - Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism

A2 - Lakhani, Suraj

A2 - Droogan, Julian

A2 - Khalil, Lydia

A2 - Macdonald, Stuart

PB - Routledge

ER -

Regulatory mechanisms

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Embargoed Document

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Cite this