Feedback on European Commission's "Initiative Impact Analysis for Defining Digital Services' Obligations"

The European Commission has announced plans to propose a new legislation, the Digital Services Act (DSA), aimed at regulating Internet intermediaries and addressing concerns about digital services. The DSA is designed to deepen the internal market for digital services, create clearer and more harmonized rules, and prioritize six key goals: clarifying scope, setting proportionate responsibilities, increasing legal certainty, protecting freedom of expression, harmonizing rules across the EU, and minimizing impact outside of the EU.

The DSA is a proposed legislation by the European Commission, which seeks to address a wide range of issues related to digital services. It is intended to address concerns about illegal and harmful online content, while also protecting freedom of expression and digital innovation. The Centre for Data Innovation has submitted feedback on the European Commission's roadmap titled "Digital Services Act package," focusing on deepening the internal market and clarifying responsibilities for digital services.

One of the key aspects of the DSA is to harmonize rules across the EU, ensuring a consistent approach to regulating digital services. The DSA could revise or repeal the e-Commerce Directive, which currently provides a framework for online services in the EU. The DSA is also expected to create new regulations for Internet intermediaries, setting proportionate responsibilities and obligations for platforms.

The Commission is seeking feedback on three policy options for the DSA. However, a recent analysis by the Centre for Data Innovation explains why none of these options is ideal for addressing illegal online content. The organisation, which provided recommendations to the European Commission on the DSA package strategy, is not explicitly named in the search results. However, it is known that the DSA and Digital Markets Act form the EU's legislative framework aimed at these goals, coordinated by the European Commission itself as part of EU digital strategy efforts.

Another important goal of the DSA is to increase legal certainty for platforms. By providing clearer rules and regulations, the DSA aims to help platforms understand their responsibilities and obligations, reducing the risk of legal disputes and promoting a more predictable business environment. The DSA should also clarify the types of platforms and content that fall in scope, ensuring that the regulations are applicable and relevant to the digital services that pose the greatest risks.

In conclusion, the proposed Digital Services Act is a comprehensive approach to regulating digital services in the EU. By prioritizing clarity, consistency, and legal certainty, the DSA aims to address concerns about digital services, protect freedom of expression, and promote digital innovation, all while minimizing its impact outside of the EU. The European Commission is seeking feedback on the DSA, and it will be interesting to see how the final legislation evolves in response to the feedback received.