The Internet is a global forum largely governed by private actors driven by profit concerns, often disregarding the human rights of historically marginalised communities. Increased attention is being paid to the corporate human rights due diligence (HRDD) responsibilities applicable to online platforms countering illegal online content, such as hate speech. At the European Union (EU) level, cross-sector initiatives regulate the rights of marginalised groups and establish HRDD responsibilities for online platforms to expeditiously identify, prevent, mitigate, remedy and remove online hate speech. These initiatives include the Digital Services Act, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the proposed Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act and the Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online. Nevertheless, the HRDD framework applicable to online hate speech has focused mostly on the platforms’ responsibilities throughout the course of their operations - guidance regarding HRDD requirements concerning the regulation of hate speech in the platforms’ Terms of Service (ToS) is missing. This paper employs a conceptualisation of criminal hate speech as explained in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)16, Paragraph 11, to develop specific HRDD responsibilities. We argue that online platforms should, as part of emerging preventive HRDD responsibilities within Europe, respect the rights of historically oppressed communities by aligning their ToS with the conceptualisation of criminal hate speech in European human rights standards.

互联网是一个全球论坛，主要由受利润驱动的私人行为者控制，往往无视历史上边缘化社区的人权。人们越来越关注适用于打击仇恨言论等非法在线内容的在线平台的企业人权尽职调查（HRDD）责任。在欧盟 (EU) 层面，跨部门举措规范了边缘化群体的权利，并为在线平台确立了 HRDD 责任，以迅速识别、预防、减轻、补救和消除在线仇恨言论。这些举措包括《数字服务法》、《视听媒体服务指令》、拟议的企业可持续发展尽职调查指令、拟议的《人工智能法》和《打击网上非法仇恨言论的行为准则》。然而，适用于在线仇恨言论的 HRDD 框架主要关注平台在整个运营过程中的责任 - 平台服务条款 (ToS) 中缺少有关监管仇恨言论的 HRDD 要求的指导。本文采用了欧洲委员会部长委员会建议 CM/Rec(2022)16 第 11 段中所解释的犯罪仇恨言论的概念，以制定具体的 HRDD 责任。我们认为，作为欧洲新兴预防性 HRDD 责任的一部分，在线平台应该：