News
The European Commission ( EC ) has welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act , proposed by the Commission in December 2020 .
The Digital Services Package sets out a first comprehensive rulebook for the online platforms that Europe ’ s citizens depend on in their daily lives . These new rules will be applicable across the whole of the EU and will create a safer and more open digital space , grounded in respect for fundamental rights .
“ The European Parliament has adopted a global first ,” declared Margrethe Vestager , executive vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age . “ Strong , ambitious regulation of online platforms . The Digital Services Act enables the protection of users ’ rights online . The Digital Markets Act creates fair , open online markets . As an example , illegal hate speech can also be dealt with online . And products bought online must be safe . Big platforms will have to refrain from promoting their own interests , share their data with other businesses , enable more app stores . Because with size comes responsibility - as a big platform , there are things you must do and things you cannot do .”
“ Ten years ago , a page was turned on ‘ too big to fail ’ banks ,” commented Thierry Breton , commissioner for the Internal Market . “ Now , with DSA and DMA , we ’ re turning the page on ‘ too big to care ’ platforms . We are finally building a single digital market , the most important one in the ‘ free world ’. The same predictable rules will apply , everywhere in the EU , for our 450 million citizens , bringing everyone a safer and fairer digital space .
Europe ’ s TV and VoD providers , represented by trade body the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe ( ACT ), have welcomed the adoption , but suggest that strong enforcement and complementary legislation are needed to deliver on digital promises .
“ Whilst the intentions of the European legislator is clear , these two legislative instruments set the stage for a better regulated online environment , they cannot be the full and definitive answer to all issues online ,” they assert .
Europe adopts Digital Services package
“ We remain faithful that the European Commission will take the next natural step towards protecting European content , by proposing legal instrument that addresses the stringent issue of piracy of live content and which builds on existing concepts of the DSA . Only through a legislative proposal that ensures immediate take down of time sensitive content can we truly say that ‘ What is illegal online , is illegal offline ’,” they declare .
“ The adoption of the Digital Services Package is the beginning of the end for
“ The European Parliament has adopted a global first , strong , ambitious regulation of online platforms .” impunity in the digital sphere ,” says Grégoire Polad , ACT director general . “ It is however only the end of the beginning of a new wave of regulation to ensure big tech complies with the rules all other economic actors have always been subject to . We look forward to a host of new proposals to effectively curtail the abuses taking place in the digital sphere , notably the piracy of live content and the spread and ongoing monetisation of disinformation . The job ahead is still massive in terms of enforcement and complementary legislation .”
Europe ’ s Public Service Media , represented by the European Broadcasting Union , ( EBU ) also welcome the adoption and look forward to the final adoption in Council which will officially close the legislative procedure .
“ The EU has shown great determination to set a high standard for platform regulation ,” commented Wouter Gekiere , EBU ’ s head of the Brussels Office . “ The DSA and DMA will make a difference for European citizens and businesses in their day-to-day interactions with online platforms . Particularly , the DMA will make the digital sector fairer and more competitive , curtailing the market dominance of gatekeeper platforms .”
According to the EBU , transparency provisions in the DSA will help platform users better to understand how platforms moderate their content and recommend it to users . Preventing tech giants from unduly ranking their own products or services higher than those of others will be beneficial for media plurality .
However , the Digital Services Package can
only be effective if big tech companies comply with the rules in practice , says the EBU , suggesting that the EC and national regulators must now put the spotlight on oversight and enforcement .
Public Service Media must be equipped with the necessary tools to react to and challenge unfair and arbitrary decisions by platform operators with regards to their content . Importantly , policymakers should also ensure that the publishers of media content online can always be easily identifiable ; promote the adoption of measures ensuring visibility of general interest content in the online sphere and promote transparency in audience measurement .
The European telecommunications industry also welcomes the adoption . The GSMA and ETNO congratulate the EU Institutions for making the DSA ’ s guiding mantra – that what is illegal offline should be illegal online – a reality in Europe . They particularly applaud their efforts to strike the balance between preventing the spread of illegal material online and the respect of fundamental rights , by recognising that intermediaries should bear responsibilities proportionate to their role in disseminating such material .
They say the legislation together mark a significant step forward to restoring a levelplaying in the Internet value chain , and they encourage the EU Institutions to keep pursuing this goal for the remainder of the present mandate .
6 EUROMEDIA