After long deliberations, the European Union agreed, this Saturday, to the legislation of the digital services act (DSA), a new law that intends to protect people’s fundamental rights in the digital sphere.
The new regulation is set to reinforce European efforts in terms of tackling disinformation campaigns and the spread of problematic content on digital platforms, particularly social media and service providers.
“This agreement is historic”, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Twitter, “our new rules will protect users online, ensure freedom of expression and opportunities for businesses.”
Under the new rules, digital platforms such as Google, Facebook (Meta) and Amazon will be responsible for ensuring constant control over the circulating contents and transparency on their recommendation algorithms.
The tech giants will be audited once a year by independent organisms and placed under the supervision of the European Commission, which may impose fines of up to 6% of their annual sales in case of repeated infringements.
The digital services act aims to make the internet a safer space for European citizens, including minors. Platforms have to strengthen their protection through banning targeted advertising.
The excesses of social networks have often hit the headlines. The assassination of history professor Samuel Paty in France, after a hate campaign in October 2020, protestors’ attack on the U.S Capitol in January 2021, partly planned on Facebook and Twitter.
The dark side of the Internet also concerns sales platforms overrun with counterfeit products, which can be dangerous, such as children’s toys that do not meet safety standards. The digital services act will oblige online sales sites to prove that the information provided by suppliers is reliable.
Furthermore, the users’ fundamental rights will be protected and they will have better control over how their personal data are used. The DSA specifically prohibits targeted advertising when it comes to sensitive data (e.g. based on religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation).
This law “is the first of its kind in the world in terms of digital regulation”, confirmed the European Council, which represents the 27 member states of the European Union. The council said in a statement that the DSA “enshrines the principle that what is illegal outside the Internet must also be illegal on the Internet.”
Amid the war in Ukraine, lawmakers adopted a “crisis response mechanism” to take “proportionate and effective” action against mega platforms that allegedly contribute to disinformation campaigns, added the European Council.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had encouraged the EU to adopt this new legislation to “support global democracy before it is too late”. “For too long, tech platforms have amplified misinformation and extremism without accountability.” she said.
It is to note that the Digital Services Act (DSA) is one of the two parts of a major plan presented in December 2020 by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, and her counterpart in the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
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