EU to Begin Censoring Emojis on Social Media — For ‘Safety’
The European Commission, under the Digital Services Act, is reportedly addressing systemic online risks, including the use of emojis as coded language for illegal activities like drug sales. Some platforms are deploying automated systems to detect such emoji usage, raising concerns about free speech and overreach. Critics argue that interpreting context and intent in emoji use poses significant challenges and risks excessive censorship.
- ▪The European Commission and the Board of the Digital Services Coordinators published a report on systemic risks on very large online platforms in the EU.
- ▪The report highlights the use of emojis as coded language for illegal activities, such as drug sales, and notes platforms' use of automated detection systems.
- ▪Critics express concern that emoji moderation may infringe on free speech due to the ambiguity and context-dependency of emojis.
- ▪The Digital Services Act requires large platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including illegal content and threats to public security.
- ▪Experts warn that automated moderation systems may produce false positives when interpreting emoji use.
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EU to Begin Censoring Emojis on Social Media — For ‘Safety’ Benjamin Bartee | 8:05 AM on May 03, 2026 AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File The European Commission apparently finds itself no longer satiated with controlling what combinations of letters it permits the serfs on its techno-planation to spell out on social media and has now expanded the scope of its Orwellian censorship regime to emojis. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display("div-gpt-300x250_3"); //googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot["div-gpt-300x250_3"]]) }); Related: AG Pam Bondi Vows Federal Crackdown on ‘Hate Speech’Via European Commission (emphasis added):European regulators, the European Commission and the Board of the Digital Services Coordinators, enforcing the Digital Service Act published a…
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