What is Illegal Must Be Removed from the Internet

Hate speech and online harassment have often gone unpunished on the internet. Now, the Digital Services Act is coming into effect to better and more quickly address illegal content.

What is Illegal Must Be Removed from the Internet

The new Digital Services Act (DSA) is a significant step towards curbing hate speech and harmful content on online platforms and social media. The European Union aims to take action against illegal content and provide a safer digital environment. The EU law for digital services was agreed upon by member states, the European Parliament, and the Commission almost a year ago.

According to Margrethe Vestager, the EU Commissioner for Digital, it is crucial to enforce this law. Without proper enforcement, it holds no value. The DSA aims to accelerate the removal of hate speech and online harassment throughout the European Union. Users should be able to report illegal content to online platforms to ensure appropriate actions are taken. What is illegal must be removed from the internet.

In addition to content reporting, online service providers are required to report suspicious criminal activities to the authorities, such as the police. Stringent regulations apply to large internet platforms, referred to as “Gatekeepers” by the EU. These platforms must have at least 45 million users in the EU and operate under special supervision.

The Brussels Commission has identified 17 Gatekeepers, including Apple, Amazon, Google, TikTok, and the former Twitter (now X). They are responsible for protecting minors, including combating child pornography. Gatekeepers must also assess the mental health impact of internet usage on children and ensure they are not targeted with tailored advertising.

Overall, the Gatekeepers must monitor the content shared on their platforms, enhance transparency, and reduce disinformation. The EU Commission demands accountability in these areas.

To monitor compliance, the EU is collaborating with NGOs and consumer protection organizations to develop criteria and strategies. The goal is to ensure that social media platforms, despite their significant power and influence, adhere to the rules demanded by a democracy, emphasized Vestager.

The implementation of the Digital Services Act will require substantially more work and effort from online service providers and the Commission. Severe financial penalties await those who violate European rules. However, determining what constitutes a violation and when content should be removed, as well as the magnitude of potential fines, will be decided on a case-by-case basis, often requiring legal proceedings.

While some members of the European Parliament had hoped for stricter or clearer rules, the Digital Services Act represents a crucial step towards a more transparent and hate-free internet from the Brussels perspective.

However, concerns have been raised by parliamentarian Patrick Breyer of the Pirate Party. He argues that the Act allows a country to delete information that is only considered illegal there but poses no problem elsewhere in the EU. This could potentially enable a situation where Hungary, for example, could remove a video critical of Viktor Orban’s government throughout the entire EU. Consequently, the DSA brings new potential sources of conflict to Europe. Nevertheless, Brussels insists that a hate-free, more humane, and democratic internet is worth it.