The new rules that Europe will apply to Internet giants: what is it about?

Internet giants will have to respond in the European Union to reinforced obligations of transparency and the fight against illegal content, on pain of significant fines, under a new law without precedent in the world.

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the ambitious Digital Services Act (LSD) It is imposed as of this Friday on the 19 main social networks, commerce sites and search engines, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, X (ex-Twitter) or TikTok.

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These companies, which each have more than 45 million active users in the European Union (EU), are subject to new obligations to combat disinformation, online hate, child pornography or counterfeiting, all under the surveillance of the European Commission.

“Europe is the first jurisdiction in the world where online platforms no longer have ‘favorite treatment’ and do not set their own rules. Now they are regulated entities just like financial institutions”declared Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market.

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It is about “protecting our children, our societies, our democracies,” wrote the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the X social network.
Violators face penalties that could reach 6 per cent of their group’s global turnover and, as a last resort, in case of repeated serious breaches, a temporary ban from operating in the EU.

Platforms must offer Internet users a tool to easily flag illegal content, as defined by national legislation or European texts, and quickly remove it.

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They must also undergo an independent annual audit to verify the correct fulfillment of its obligations. Commerce sites must be able to track sellers to reduce scams.

Their algorithms are also under scrutiny: platforms must explain how their recommendation systems work and offer alternatives without personalization.

AFP AGENCY