The European Union decided today that tech companies must explain their algorithms and take responsibility for the content that appears on their platforms. The decision was made today and the measure is called the Digital Services Act or DSA in English.
The law imposes obligations on platforms like Meta, Google and others, including faster removal of illegal content and goods, explaining to users and researchers how their algorithms work, and stricter measures against fake news. Companies face fines of up to 6% of their annual turnover.
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“DSA will update the ground rules for all online services in the EU,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “This puts into practice the principle that what is illegal offline must also be illegal online. The bigger the online platform, the greater the responsibility.”
Margrethe Vestager, who is responsible for much of the European bloc’s tech regulation, said the law will “ensure platforms are held accountable for the risks their services can pose to society”. And even if the law only applies to the EU, the impact should be felt around the world as tech companies may decide to implement a single global content monitoring strategy.
Obligations listed in the DSA include:
- Ads targeting religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity and targeting minors are prohibited.
- “Dark patterns”, ie confusing or misleading user interfaces designed to help users make certain decisions, are prohibited. The European Union says canceling a subscription should be as easy as doing it.
- Large online platforms like Facebook are required to make their recommendation algorithms transparent. Users must also have a “nonprofile based” recommendation system option. In the case of Instagram, for example, this means a chronological feed.
- Hosting services and online platforms must clearly explain the removal of content and give users the opportunity to appeal.
- The biggest platforms need to provide researchers with data so they can assess “how online risks are evolving”.
- Online marketplaces need to record basic information about sellers in order to track people offering illegal goods or services.
- Big platforms have to implement new strategies for dealing with fake news in times of crisis (part of the law inspired by the invasion of Ukraine).
The DSA will differentiate technology companies by size, with larger platforms having larger obligations. The largest companies (with at least 45 million users in the EU, such as Meta and Google) are subject to closer scrutiny.
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The law will come into effect 15 months after approval or on January 1, 2024, whichever is later.
About: The Edge
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