The European Commission has announced the first 19 platforms to fall under Digital Services Act’s stricter regime.
The European Commission has named the first digital platforms that will be subject to new regulations aimed at very large online platforms and search engines with more than 45 million users in the EU. These platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube, which have all been put on notice as the first targets of the regulation. The proposals within the Digital Services Act aim to safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights through a code of conduct covering illegal online content, which includes clearly defined responsibilities for online platforms. These proposals are considered the strictest regulations governing digital platforms anywhere in the world.
The platforms announced by the European Commission are only the first batch of platforms to be governed by this stricter regime, as a few more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The regulation is broad in scope and aims to effectively regulate digital platforms, which includes online advertising and addressing the spread of illegal content, including hate speech, and terrorist propaganda, among others. The platforms named by the European Commission include Alibaba AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple AppStore, Bing, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Search, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Zalando. With the exception of German marketplace Zalando, which declared 30.8 million in the EU, all these platforms surpass 45 million users within the bloc. This is only the first batch of platforms to be designated. The Commission is still investigating four or five platforms on which a final decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Under this stricter regime, online advertising is expected to face tighter scrutiny.
The new regime will target online advertising, forcing digital firms to clarify when they are running sponsored content. Online advertising is expected to face much greater scrutiny. The announcement comes as the Commission finalises proposals aimed at ensuring that users are provided with greater transparency when it comes to how their personal data is used online, as well as safeguarding their digital rights. These large platforms will have until August 25th to comply with this regulation.
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