This is stated on the European Commission’s website, as reported by Ukrinform.

“From 17 February, the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of EU rules aimed at making the online environment safer, fairer and more transparent, will apply to all organizations performing online intermediary functions across the EU,” the message reads.

With the DSA, all users of online services in the EU will be better protected against illegal products or content and will be able to assert their rights, especially within the framework of the major online platforms they use to communicate and share with other users. get information or buy products online.

The new rules will apply to all online platforms with users in the EU, except for small companies whose number of employees does not exceed 50 people and whose annual turnover does not exceed 10 million euros.

Larger companies will be required to comply with the rules listed in the DSA.

Such large online platforms, in particular, will have to oppose the distribution of illegal content, related goods or services. In this context, they should provide users with the opportunity to flag such illegal content and cooperate with organizations specialized in information quality control.

Another key requirement for major Internet platforms is the implementation of child protection measures, including a complete ban on the distribution of applications based on a child’s personal data or “profile”.

In addition, Internet platforms must clearly inform users about advertising signs in information products, as well as provide information about who orders the display of advertising applications and who pays for such advertising.

New regulatory rules prohibit the advertising of advertising products based on sensitive information, for example political or religious beliefs, sexual preferences and other similar data.

It is important that platforms have an obligation to inform users about the reasons for moderation, including removing user-shared content, blocking accounts, and in this case provide the user with a link to the list of reasons contained in the DSA. database. Users should also be provided with a mechanism through which they can appeal the moderator’s decisions. Platforms must update information about their content moderation procedures and rules at least once a year.

As of August 2023, DSA rules already apply to 19 very large online platforms and search engines, accessed by more than 45 million users every month.

Digital Services Coordinator structures will be created to act as an independent regulator on the territory of their countries to supervise the activities of Internet platforms that are not classified as “very large” at the level of EU members.

A similar independent regulator will be created at the pan-European level. The European Commission, with the participation of national Digital Services Coordinators, will create a European Digital Services Council to ensure that consumer rights are respected across the EU, regardless of where such major Internet platforms are located. The first meeting of the European Digital Services Council will take place on 19 February 2024.

As reported, after a long debate, EU countries agreed on the Digital Services Law, which aims to regulate the activities of major Internet platforms within the framework of common rules that ensure the protection of consumers and the prevention of the spread of prohibited content. “Hate speech”, promotion of violence, xenophobia or racism