Digital Platforms and Markets Updates: the latest news from the European Commission | #3

Digital Platforms and Markets: a review of the latest updates from the European Commission

Digital Services Act: preparing for the elections – roundtable with large platforms and search engines and Digital Services Coordinators (5 June 2024)

On June 3, 2024, the Directorate-General for Communication Networks (DG CONNECT) organised a roundtable with the representatives of large online platforms and search engines (VLOPs and VLOSEs), the Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) and other competent authorities from the Member States, to give the DSCs the opportunity to question the digital bigwigs on the measures to be taken in the run-up to the European elections.

During the meeting, the participants shared their opinions on possible perceived threats to the electoral process and potential tools to marginalize them. Discussions covered not only the issue of access mechanisms to the data provided by the designated platforms, but also the need for cooperation with national authorities, industry experts and civil society organisations.

Digital Services Act: the Commission cooperates with ERGA for the implementation of the Regulation (4 June 2024)

The Commission officials in charge of the implementation of the DSA and the European Regulators’ Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) have decided to cooperate, structuring their mutual commitment to support the supervision and enforcement activities of the DSA to which the Commission is called.

The collaboration will focus on the supervision of large-scale online platforms (VLOPs) and large-scale search engines (VLOSEs).

The cooperation with the ERGA will be decisive in gathering useful information, also at a national level, on the basis of which reports on issues such as media pluralism, disinformation and the protection of minors can be produced. The collaboration with ERGA will be aimed at supporting the Commission in its work to identify and assess systemic risks in these areas.

The Commission has already concluded bilateral administrative agreements with national regulators in France, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. Active cooperation with Member States, national authorities and EU bodies is crucial for the effective implementation of the DSA, as well as for the creation of a safe and secure online environment throughout the EU.

Digital Services Act: the Commission designates Temu as a large online platform (VLOP) (31 May 2024)

Temu is a fast-growing e-commerce platform with an average of more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union. The size of this user base, which Temu itself reported to the Commission, is above the threshold that the DSA provides for the designation of an online platform as ‘large’ (VLOP).

Following Temu’s designation as a VLOP, it will have to, within four months of its notification (i.e. by the end of September 2024), comply with the stricter rules set out in the DSA. These include the obligation to assess, and, where appropriate, mitigate any systemic risks arising from the provision of their services, including the sale of counterfeit goods, unsafe or illegal products and items that infringe intellectual property rights, profiles on which the public debate around Temu has focused for months.

Digital Services Act: fourth meeting of the European Digital Services Committee (29 May 2024)

On May 28, 2024, the Directorate-General for Communication Networks (DG CONNECT) hosted the fourth meeting of the European Digital Services Committee, during which the Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) and the Commission reviewed the cases, activities and application of the DSA. The DSCs discussed the latest application developments of the DSA in the context of the elections, in anticipation of those called for the European Parliament (6-9 June 2024). Moreover, the Commission provided an update on the codes of conduct on disinformation and incitement to hatred.

The Commission started discussions on working groups and potential agreements on the distribution of internal work, including the communication strategies to be adopted.

The Board held a final discussion and approved the internal regulations, which will be formally adopted after approval by the Commission, and also discussed the ‘DSA schoolyard guardians’ initiative, which aims to appoint an adult person in each European school to deal with online safety issues and related DSA protections.

The next Board meeting will be held on June 20 in Brussels.