The European Union (EU) has agreed on the Digital Services Act (DSA), which will force tech giants to take greater responsibility for content on their platforms or face fines of up to 6% of their annual turnover for non-compliance.
Google, Meta, and other platforms must now explain their algorithms.
The DSA establishes a ground-breaking new standard for online platforms’ accountability in the face of illegal and harmful content.
It will provide better protection for internet users and their fundamental rights, as well as define a single set of rules in the internal market, allowing smaller platforms to scale up, according to a statement from the European Commission.
“The DSA will upgrade the ground-rules for all online services in the EU. It will ensure that the online environment remains a safe space, safeguarding freedom of expression and opportunities for digital businesses. It gives practical effect to the principle that what is illegal offline, should be illegal online,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, added that online platforms should now be transparent about their content moderation decisions in order to prevent dangerous disinformation from spreading and unsafe products from being offered on marketplaces.
The DSA is not the same as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was passed in March.
While the DMA is concerned with creating a level playing field for businesses, the DSA is concerned with how companies police content on their platforms.
“With the agreement we ensure that platforms are held accountable for the risks their services can pose to society and citizens,” said Vestager.
The regulators said that with the DSA, the time of big online platforms behaving like they are “too big to care” is coming to an end.
