The Media Services Act gives the Council for Media Services the power to prevent the dissemination of illegal content and to work with digital platforms in the effective, proportionate and non-discriminatory application of their community rules, norms and standards.
Illegal content is defined in Section 151 of the Act. It includes, among other categories, content that "...incites or approves of conduct that fulfils the characteristics of any of the offences of terrorism..."
The Council also has powers of systematic supervision and assessment of the appropriateness of public protection measures taken by video-sharing platforms, broadcasters or providers of on-demand audiovisual services operating in Slovakia. The Council may also suspend the retransmission of a television programme service or the provision of an on-demand audiovisual media service if the content manifestly, seriously and grossly incites publicly to commit any of the offences of terrorism. In the retransmission of a television programme service or an on-demand audiovisual media service in the jurisdiction of another Member State, the Council has the power to initiate cross-border cooperation with EU Member States.
The Council for Media Services has further competence in online terrorist content under the EU Regulation on tackling the dissemination of terrorist content online. Under Article 12, the Council supervises the measures that are hosting service providers put in place and enforces to limit the dissemination of terrorist content. In the event of a systematic breach of this obligation, the Council may impose a penalty of up to 4% of worldwide turnover on the provider of such a service.
In relation to the dissemination of online terrorist content, CMS works extensively with foreign partners in global prevention initiatives such as Christchurch Call, GIFCT, Tech Against Terrorism, or The Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse.