An Austrian court has ordered Facebook to remove posts deemed as hate speech, in a legal victory for campaigners who want to force social media companies to combat online "trolling".
In the case, brought by Austria's Green party over insults to leader Eva Glawischnig, the court ruled posts must be deleted across Facebook and not just in Austria, a point left open in an initial ruling.
Strengthening the earlier ruling, the Viennese appeals court ruled on Friday Facebook must remove posts as well as any verbatim re-postings
It said merely blocking them in Austria without deleting them for users abroad was not sufficient.
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The court added it was easy for Facebook to automate this process.
It said, however, the social media giant could not be expected to trawl through content to find posts that are similar, rather than identical, to ones already identified as hate speech.
The ruling comes as legislators around Europe consider ways of forcing Facebook, Google, Twitter and others to rapidly remove hate speech or incitement to violence.
Germany's cabinet approved a plan last month to fine social networks up to 50 million euros ($A73.95 million) if they fail to remove such postings quickly.
The European Union is considering new EU-wide rules.
Facebook and its lawyers in Vienna declined to comment on the ruling, which was distributed by the Greens and confirmed by a court spokesman.
The Greens hope to get the ruling strengthened further at Austria's highest court.
They want the court to demand Facebook remove similar - not only identical - postings, and to make it identify holders of fake accounts.
The Greens also want Facebook to pay damages, which would make it easier for individuals in similar cases to take the financial risk of taking legal action.
"Facebook must put up with the accusation that it is the world's biggest platform for hate and that it is doing nothing against this," Green parliamentarian Dieter Brosz said.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said hate speech has no place on the platform.
The company has published a policy paper on how it wants to work against false news.
