VLOPs & VLOSEs in the DSA
Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) are defined as platforms and search engines with more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU and are subject to the highest tier of regulatory requirements under the Digital Services Act, attracting the most intense enforcement scrutiny.
While the initial designations occurred in April 2023, the European Commission continues to designate new VLOPs and VLOSEs as they meet the user threshold. To stay informed about the latest designations, our dedicated tracker is an essential tool.
Risk Assessments under the Digital Services Act
Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) are required by Article 34 of the DSA to conduct annual Risk Assessments. These assessments aim to identify and mitigate systemic risks associated with their services.
While VLOPs and VLOSEs must submit these Risk Assessments to the European Commission, they are also obligated to publish publicly accessible summaries. These public versions may differ from the full reports provided to regulators, primarily for safety and confidentiality reasons. With the Risk Assessments submitted on August 25, 2023, now being made public, be sure to stay updated with our tracker.
Audit & Implementation Reports Tracker
Under the Digital Services Act, audit reports and audit implementation reports are critical tools for ensuring compliance by Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) with their obligations.
The audits evaluate whether the platforms are properly identifying and mitigating the systemic risks detected in their risk assessments.
VLOPs & VLOSEs Transparency Reports Tracker
The DSA requires Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines to publish Transparency Reports every six months. The aim? Monitoring and documenting the internal operations carried out to ensure the safety of their services. Read our blog to know more.
Keep in mind that some VLOPs – Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, Shein, and Temu – were designated later, so they’ve had fewer reporting cycles than the rest.
Enforcement Actions under the DSA
With the DSA entered in full effect, the European Commission has kicked off its enforcement role, sending requests for information (RFI) and opening investigations into different platforms.
Our tracker provides you with an overview about enforcement actions. You can even filter the information by the specific platforms involved or the relevant DSA articles.
Digital Services Coordinators Tracker
The enforcement of the DSA is a shared effort. Here, Digital Services Coordinators play a key role.
As Member States finalise their designations, our tracker provides you a manageable list of all these entities, their contacts, and main areas of competence.
Trusted Flaggers in DSA
Under the DSA, Trusted Flaggers will have a special status where they are able to signal illegal content with priority to online platforms.
As Digital Services Coordinators kick off the designation, our tracker offers an overview of who these actors are, where they are based and the content area they focus on.
Out-of-court dispute settlement bodies Tracker
Article 21 of the DSA has established the figure of “Out-of-court dispute settlement bodies” as private actors users can bring content moderation decisions to.
These bodies are responsible for either helping to resolve disputes or issuing non-binding decisions for platforms to consider.
With OOC bodies being designated by Digital Services Coordinators, our tracker will help you monitor who these bodies, where they are based, and how to contact them.
