European Union (EU), in March Digital Markets ActIt was argued that with these new regulations, technology companies would have to go through some changes and that their competition in the European market would become fairer. As the EU sets itself the goal of dominating the online world, digital businesses are growing stronger. will force They have reportedly agreed on new legislation.

Earlier this morning, after hours of deliberation, the news that will force tech companies to take more responsibility for the content on their platforms Digital Services Act(DSA) conditions have been agreed. the law, January 1, 2024It was stated that it will be valid for all companies in the European market.

What was illegal offline is now considered illegal online

Under the new regulation, faster removal of illegal content and products, users and researchers explain how algorithms work and against the spread of false information. strict measures obligations, such as If companies do not comply with the law, their annual turnover fine up to six percent will be convicted.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, made a statement on the subject. “DSA updates the ground rules for all online services in the EU” says ve “The law, offline illegal, being online illegally gives a practical effect to the principle of necessity. The larger the size, the greater the responsibilities of online platforms.” he adds. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who led most of the technology regulation, said the law: “that the services of the platforms can create for society and citizens be held responsible for the risks will provide” there stands that.

However, both DMA and DSA impact the world of technology; however, while DMA focuses on creating a level playing field between companies, DSA focuses on the content of companies on their platforms. how to check is interested. For this reason, it is stated that DSA will have a faster impact on internet users. On the other hand, while the legislation only applies to EU citizens, it is predicted that the impact of these laws will certainly be felt in other parts of the world.

Large companies will also be given greater responsibilities

The final text of the DSA has not yet been published, but the European Parliament and the European Commission have suggested that the DSA obligations It is detailed as follows:

• Targeted ads based on a person’s religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity are prohibited. Persons under the age of 18 should also not be the subject of targeted advertising.
• “Dark Patterns”, which are confusing or deceptive user interfaces designed to trick users into making certain choices, will be banned. The EU says that, as a rule, canceling subscriptions should be as easy as signing up for it.
• Major online platforms like Facebook will need to make the work of their recommendation algorithms (used, for example, to rank content in the news feed or recommend TV shows on Netflix) transparent to users. Users should also be offered a “non-profiling” recommendation system. In the case of Instagram, for example, this means a chronological feed.
• Hosting services and online platforms must clearly explain why they are removing illegal content and give users the opportunity to object to such removals. DSA does not define what content is illegal and leaves that to individual countries.
• The largest online platforms will need to provide key data to researchers “to provide greater insight into how online risk is evolving.”
• Online marketplaces need to keep basic information about traders on their platforms to track people selling illegal goods or services.
• Major platforms will also need to provide new strategies for dealing with disinformation during crises.

However, DSA, like DMA, will differentiate between technology companies of different sizes and impose greater obligations on larger companies. This means that, like Meta and Google, in the EU with at least 45 million users The biggest companies will get the most control.

While these provisions of the DSA have now been adopted by EU member states, the legal language has yet to be finalized and the law formally transposed into law. The rules come into effect 15 months after the law is voted on, ie From January 1, 2024 It will apply to all companies.