As of 17 February 2024, all digital services are required to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA). This includes online marketplaces, social networks, search engines, cloud services, online travel and accommodation platforms, internet service providers, and content-sharing platforms, such as video platforms.
The regulation has been applicable since August 2023 for the 19 largest platforms, such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, and now extends to all other digital services. These services must improve protection of users’ rights, address online deception, illegal information, and enhance transparency.
Digital services are required, for example, to:
- Provide more comprehensive clarifications to users about the rules for removing information or user accounts;
- Ensure accessible and user-friendly complaint procedures.
Moreover, online platforms can no longer personalise advertisements based on, for instance, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. Additionally, the DSA provides extra protection for minors against personalised and inappropriate advertisements. View additional requirements.
Supervision in the Netherlands
The European Commission oversees the compliance of the 19 largest online platforms and search engines with the law. The EU member states are responsible for supervising the remaining online services. The House of Representatives in the Netherlands will soon consider a bill to designate the Dutch supervisory bodies. Candidates include the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DAP). By ministerial decree, the ACM has already been appointed as the ‘digital services coordinator’ to undertake a number of tasks under the DSA.
