DSA (EU Digital Services Act)

Main article: Censorship (control and anonymity) on the Internet. World experience

In November 2022, the EU began consistently implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA), an extensive EU regulatory framework aimed at introducing strict content censoring rules on major online platforms.

Controlling organization

Main article: Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT)

In 2024, the Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) was tasked with monitoring DSA compliance by online platforms.

What is included in the DSA

For August 2024:

• Content moderation: Measures to identify and remove "illegal content, including misinformation" and extremist material

• Transparency: The messenger is obliged to provide more detailed information about its moderation algorithms and advertising systems.

• User protection: Plptform should improve mechanisms for users to report "illegal content" and appeal censorship decisions.

• Risk Assessment: The platform is required to regularly assess the risks associated with the spread of "illegal content and misinformation."

• Cooperation with the authorities: Platforms are required to work closely with EU law enforcement agencies.

• Protection of minors: Strengthening measures to protect children from "harmful content" and exploitation on the Internet.

• Advertising and targeting: Restrictions on the use of personal data for targeted advertising, especially for minors.

The EU requires a centralized, managed and automated approach to censoring content.

• Strengthening measures to identify "illegal content" (criteria set by the EU), where the platform must develop effective algorithms and systems to automatically detect "potentially illegal content."

• Expedite the removal process, in which DSA requires platforms to respond quickly to notifications of "illegal content."

• Transparency of moderation processes. The platform should regularly publish reports on its moderation activities.

• Cooperation with "trusted alarms." The DSA is introducing the concept of "trusted alarms" - organisations that can help identify "illegal content.