What is the DSA?
On November 16th 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA; Regulation 2022/2065) entered into force. The DSA is a landmark law setting out a set of common rules for digital services across the EU. With the new law in force, companies of all shapes and sizes will be obliged to put in place by 2024 processes and procedures around content moderationReviewing user-generated content to ensure that it complies with a platform’s T&C as well as with legal guidelines. See also: Content Moderator to address illegal content and protect user rights.
Who is affected?
The DSA will apply to all intermediary services operating in the European Union, in other words every company hosting or facilitating the transmission of user generated content (UGC) in the EU. This includes, for example, internet service providers, content distribution networks, DNS services, VOIP services, web-based messaging, but also hosting services such as web hosting or cloud storage, as well as online platformsAn online platform refers to a digital service that enables interactions between two or more sets of users who are distinct but interdependent and use the service to communicate via the internet. The phrase "online platform" is a broad term used to refer to various internet services such as marketplaces, search engines, social media, etc. In the DSA, online platforms... such as social networks, online marketplacesPlatforms where businesses and/or consumers can buy and sell goods and services online. An online marketplace can be between businesses, between consumers, or from businesses to consumers. In the DSA online marketplaces are understood as a digital service that facilitates transactions between consumers and sellers by providing an interface for the presentation of goods or services offered by those sellers...., app stores, online travel and accommodation websites, online gaming and content sharing websites, etc.
The DSA has a global impact as it applies to all companies offering their services in the EU. As such, companies do not need to have any physical preshas-medium-font-sizeence in the Union – if they have any EU users or they market their services in Europe, they need to comply.
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