Facebook can be forced to remove content worldwide, judges rule

Social media giant says EU court decision on hateful posts "undermines a long-standing principle"

Facebook said the ruling goes beyond a process it already follows to “restrict content if and when it violates local laws".

Facebook can be forced to remove posts anywhere in the world to protect European Union users fromhateful content, the bloc’s highest court has ruled.

European courts can force platforms such as the social network giant to seek and destroy such content once they have been alerted, the judges at the European Court of Justice said in a binding decision on Thursday.

Courts can also order a worldwide removal as long as they take ...