15 February 2024, Brussels, Belgium – DOT Europe is concerned about the lack of guidance for internet companies ahead of the compliance date for the Digital Services Act (DSA). As the 17th February deadline is fast approaching, we urge the European Commission and the national Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) to focus on facilitating compliance, especially for companies outside the framework for large operators, rather than immediate enforcement of unclear obligations.
“The internet ecosystem is incredibly diverse with a plethora of smaller players that face a higher relative DSA compliance burden. However, most of the little guidance we have received so far is addressed to the very large services. To make matters worse, more than half of EU Member States are yet to appoint their DSCs. The European Commission and national DSCs should reinforce their efforts to support compliance instead of taking immediate enforcement action” said Constantin Gissler, DOT Europe’s Director-General.
The DSA applies to the entirety of the internet ecosystem, which is made up of a very diverse group of companies that differ in their business models, customer bases and market segments. They also vary in size, and include a large number of small and medium sized enterprises. Often these companies have to make significant efforts with limited internal resources to comply with the new set of rules.
Setting up DSCs that can act as contact points for companies at national level is a cornerstone for successful implementation of the DSA. However, according to the Commission’s own mapping, only 11 DSCs across 27 EU Member States have been appointed so far. Further, EU-level guidance is key to support compliance especially for companies that have not been designated Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Search Engines (VLOSEs).
The lack of guidance and compliance dialogue is most striking for key obligations such as the obligation for online platforms to integrate with the DSA Transparency Database that tracks take downs of content. Similarly, smaller companies have not received any information on how to implement the new Trusted Flagger notice system. Without this support, the coherence of compliance efforts across the internet ecosystem cannot be ensured and companies face unnecessary additional compliance burdens.
ENDS
For more information from DOT Europe contact:
+32(0) 472 26 83 02
Notes to the editor:
DOT Europe (previously called EDiMA) is the voice of the leading internet companies in Europe. DOT Europe’s mission is to develop ideas and support policy initiatives that foster an innovative, open and safe internet for Europe’s citizens and businesses. More information is available here: https://doteurope.eu/
DOT Europe represents 22 of the leading internet companies: Airbnb, Amazon EU, Apple, Discord, Dropbox, eBay, Etsy, Expedia Group, Google, Indeed, King, Meta, Microsoft, Mozilla, Nextdoor, OLX, Shopify, Snap, Spotify, TikTok, Yahoo and X.
Its members produce and manage a variety of products, services and applications including browsers, entertainment platforms, social networks, marketplaces and review sites. More information is available here: https://doteurope.eu/members
