Tech giants to adhere to EU’s Digital Services Act

Starting today, the EU’s Digital Services Act will require tech giants with over 45 million users to adhere to stringent regulations.

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Starting from today i.e. Friday, August 25th, Meta Platforms Inc, Google, and X (previously Twitter) must adhere to strict new content rules in the European Union as per a recently enforceable law. Google, under Alphabet Inc, announced on Thursday its steps to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act.

These steps include providing more data on online ad targeting and revealing additional information about content moderation for services like Google Search. They will also enhance risk analysis for their major platforms. 

The EU had classified nineteen companies as “very large online platforms” and “very large online search engines” last spring, based on having over 45 million monthly users.

These platforms are now obligated to adhere to various rules, encompassing limitations on directing ads towards minors and utilizing sensitive data such as race or gender in ad delivery. Additionally, they must maintain an adequate number of content moderators proficient in each EU language.

The companies are required to furnish the European Commission with risk assessments outlining how they mitigate the impact of harmful content on their platforms. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue or potential expulsion from operating within the bloc.

Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, recently held discussions with the leaders of Twitter, Meta, and TikTok regarding the regulations. He cautioned these firms that additional efforts were required to ensure an adequate number of content moderators, particularly in light of an upcoming election in Slovakia.

Breton stated on Wednesday that “Europe is now effectively the first jurisdiction in the world where online platforms no longer benefit from a ‘free pass’ and set their own rules.” He emphasized that these companies are now subject to regulations akin to those governing financial institutions.