About: DSA
Germany’s push for tighter tech regulation
German lawmakers are making the case for tighter obligations for online platforms in the upcoming EU legislation, as they fear that it could produce weaker rules than their current national framework, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Online racial abuses in the UK prompt calls to end anonymity online
The thousands of anonymous social media accounts that attacked English football players with racist slurs following the European Championship final prompted discussions on how to end anonymity online.
How to make Digital Services Act future-proof?
It’s time to set a clear, fair and universal base law for the internet, writes Dita Charanzová. Balance is key, or we risk harming our economy. Fixing an issue for one sector in the DSA may tilt the playing field for everyone else. We need a horizontal framework, she argues.
French MP: Digital sovereignty is about being able to choose dependencies
In an interview with EURACTIV France, French centrist MP Philippe Latombe spoke about France's approach to digital sovereignty being about being able to choose who they can depend on and pointed to EU countries currently not being 'on the same page' when it comes to digital sovereignty.
Media sector fears EU ban on targeted advertising
Media representatives fear a ban on targeted advertising would undercut their business model already hurt by the COVID crisis, with potentially dramatic consequences for media pluralism.
French law on content moderation risks ‘fragmenting’ EU digital market, says Commission
A French bill with several obligations for online platforms similar to a draft EU law poses a "risk to the single market in digital services and to Europe's prosperity", the European Commission has warned. EURACTIV France reports.
Outcry pushes Google to postpone third-party cookies ban to mid-2023
Faced with criticism from competitors and regulators, Google has postponed for mid-2023 its plan to put in place an alternative to third-party cookies, the Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), acknowledging the need for more time and debate. EURACTIV France reports.
Don’t throw out the Digital Services Act’s key accountability tools
The Digital Services Act’s provisions on risk assessment and audit must stay and be improved if we are to hold tech companies accountable for harmful business models and rights violations, write Nienke Palstra, Emma Ruby-Sachs, Claudia Prettner, and Jesse Lehrich.
Leading MEP’s bid to ‘take back control of Big Tech’
The EU lawmaker responsible for the Digital Services Act (DSA) deems the landmark legislation will provide a “democratic rulebook for online platforms”, and indicates consumer protection and product safety as the red line for future negotiations.
Germany and France gear up to fight foreign interference ahead of elections
Berlin and Paris are taking steps to fight the expected manipulation of online information by foreign powers as they approach key elections, Germany in September and France next year.
Digital Brief, powered by FACEBOOK: Slovenia’s digital agenda, recovery plans falling short, Google sanctioned
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “We want to promote the EU digital agenda, to contribute to its success especially on the regulatory side. We...
Make online platforms accountable for their algorithms, leading MEP says
EU lawmakers will battle over whether online platforms should be required to open their algorithms to scrutiny, making them accountable for fundamental rights violations, after the European Parliament published its initial revisions to the planned Digital Services Act. The new blueprint also includes stronger opt-in and enforcement measures.
French data watchdog president: GDPR sucessfully stood ‘pandemic test’
The EU's flagship data protection regulation, known as the GDPR, has stood the test of the COVID-19 health crisis, the president of French data watchdog CNIL said at the release of the body's annual report for 2020 on Tuesday (18 May). EURACTIV France reports.
LEAK Commission pitching disinformation measures in Digital Services Act
The European Commission is defending its plans to tackle online disinformation from criticism from national governments, according to a working paper leaked to EURACTIV.
Germany’s online hate speech law slammed by opposition, Commission
Civil rights activists and opposition politicians have slammed a recently approved amendment to Germany's law regulating online communications, saying it encroaches on freedom of expression and fragments the European legal space. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Facebook fears regulators’ competing demands for privacy, transparency
Facebook is in favour of more regulation but is concerned that platforms could be forced in "diametrically opposed directions" in terms of privacy and transparency requirements, Nick Clegg, the platform's vice president for global affairs, has said. EURACTIV France reports.
Facebook urges Ireland to hold off on political ads rules until EU legislation
Facebook has told Irish lawmakers that proposed new rules in the country to regulate online political advertising should be held off until the European Commission presents its own legislation in the field.
France already preparing for EU presidency in first half of 2022
With France set to take over the rotating EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2022, European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune last week launched two committees: a monitoring committee and a reflection committee. EURACTIV France reports.
MEP vies to target rogue traders in Digital Services Act
Online sellers of dangerous and counterfeit goods could be further targeted under the European Parliament's Internal Market committee report on the Digital Services Act, the lead MEP on the text said on Tuesday (23 February).
Don’t ignore platforms ‘combining services’ in Digital Markets Act, Netherlands says
More attention should be paid to whether platforms offer an 'ecosystem' of many different services, in terms of designating them as so-called 'gatekeeper platforms' and therefore coming under the scope of the proposed Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules, says a position paper published by the Dutch government.
French parliament adopts new rules to combat hate online
France's National Assembly adopted on Thursday (11 February) a series of articles and amendments for regulating hate online and on platforms and introduced steep penalties, as part of the country's much-debated bill on "reinforcing respect for the principles of the Republic". EURACTIV France reports.
Prohibit targeted advertising in Digital Services Act, EU data watchdog says
The EU should prohibit targeted advertising as part of new rules against Big Tech platforms in the bloc's Digital Services Act, the EU's institutional data protection watchdog has said.
Hungary raises concerns about ‘shadow banning’ of online speech
The practice of so-called 'shadow banning' is stifling freedom of expression online and may have to be addressed through regulatory measures, Hungary's Minister of Justice Judit Varga has said, accusing Facebook of inhibiting "Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions".