THE DIGITAL SERVICES ACT PACKAGE: PROTECTION OF THE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF
DIGITAL SERVICE USERS IN THE
EUROPEAN UNION
In recent years, the European Union has been trying to adequately respond to constant technological progress and changes in the digital world by establishing a legislative and legal framework aimed at protecting users in the online environment. The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as a single set of rules are applied throughout the European Union with the aim of creating a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected. In addition to the protection of fundamental rights, the aim of these rules is to establish equal conditions for encouraging innovation, growth and competitiveness, both in the single European market and globally. The aim of the paper is to present the fundamental differences between the DMA and the DSA in the context of separate regulatory measures and obligations they impose on digital platforms. Summarily observing, the main goal of the research is the analysis of the legislative and legal framework of the European Union aimed at creating a safer and more open digital space. The results of the research will present the importance of EU regulations as part of the Digital Services Package in the context of the adoption of significant new rules aimed at strengthening the rights of users in the online environment and increasing transparency in the operation of internet platforms.
Keywords: European Union, legislative and legal framework, digital space, protection of rights.
Literature
Barata, J. et al. 2021. Unravelling the Digital Services Act package – RIS Special. Strasbourg: European Audiovisual Observatory.
Buiten, M. C. 2021. The Digital Services Act from Intermediary Liability to Platform Regulation. Journal of Intellectual Property. Information Technology and E-Commerce Law, 12(5), pp. 361-380. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3876328
Buri, I. & Van Hoboken, J. 2021. The Digital Services Act (DSA) proposal: a critical overview. Amsterdam: Faculty of Law University of Amsterdam.
Cauffman, C. & Goanta, C. 2021. A New Order: The Digital Services Act and Consumer Protection. European Journal of Risk Regulation, 12, pp. 758–774. https://doi.org/10.1017/err.2021.8
Chiarell, M. L. 2023. Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA): New Rules for the EU Digital Environment. Athens Journal of Law, 9(1), p. 33-58. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajl.9-1-2
Flew, T. & Martin, F. R. 2022. Digital Platform Regulation: Global Perspectives on Internet Governance. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95220-4
Frosio, G. & Geiger, C. 2023. Taking fundamental rights seriously in the Digital Services Act’s platform liability regime. European Law Journal, 29(1-2), pp. 36-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/eulj.12475
Leiser, M. 2023. Analysing the European Union’s Digital Services Act Provisions for the Curtailment of Fake News: Disinformation, & Online Manipulation. pp. 1-13. Available at: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/rkhx4 (10. 10. 2024). https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/rkhx4
Mostert, F. 2020. ‘Digital due process’: a need for online justice. Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 15(5), pp. 378–389. https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpaa024
Peukert, A. et al. 2022. European Copyright Society – Comment on Copyright and the Digital Services Act Proposal. IIC – International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 53, pp. 358-376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-022-01154-1
Ponce Del Castillo, A. 2020. The Digital Services Act package: Reflections on the EU Commission’s policy options. ETUI Policy Brief, 12, pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3699389
Turillazzi, A. et al. 2023. The digital services act: an analysis of its ethical, legal, and social implications. Law, Innovation and Technology, 15(1), pp. 83-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/17579961.2023.2184136
Legal sources and case law
Case 507/17 Google LLC v Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL), ECLI:EU:C:2019:772.
Case Glawischnig-Piesczek, ECLI:EU:C:2019:82.
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, 2012 OJ (C 326) 391.
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union, O. J. C 326, 26.10.2012.
Council of the European Union, Proposal for a Digital Services Act and amending Directive 2000/31/ EC – General approach, 18.11.2021, Council Document 13203/21.
COM (2020) 825: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Single Market For Digital Services (Digital Services Act) and amending Directive 2000/31/EC.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe, Brussels, 6.5.2015, COM(2015) 192 final.
Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’), OJ L 178.
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).
Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services.
Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 265.
Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Single Market For Digital Services (Digital Services Act) and amending Directive 2000/31/EC, 20.12.2021 – (COM(2020)0825 – C9-0418/2020 – 2020/0361(COD)).
Treaty on the European Union (TEU).
Internet sources
Alorica. EU Digital Services Act. Ensuring Online Safety and Fairness. Available at: https://www.alorica.com/insights/resource/eu-digital-services-act-ensuring-online-safety-and-fairness (10. 10. 2024).
Crowell. 2022. The Digital Services Act: EU Regulation of Intermediary Service Providers Imminent. Available at: https://www.crowell.com/en/insights/client-alerts/the-digital-services-act-eu-regulation-of-intermediary-service-providers-imminent (10. 10. 2024).
Cuatrecasas. Digital Services Act: New regime for intermediary services. Available at: https://www.cuatrecasas.com/en/portugal/intellectual-property/art/digital-services-act-new-regime-for-intermediary-services (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. Best interests of the child (BIC). Available at: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/networks/european-migration-network-emn/emn-asylum-and-migration-glossary/glossary/best-interests-child-bic_en (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. Digital Services Coordinators. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-dscs (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. About the Digital Markets Act. Available at: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma_en (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. The cooperation framework under the Digital Services Act. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-cooperation (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. The enforcement framework under the Digital Services Act. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-enforcement (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. f. The Digital Services Act Package. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act-package (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. Digital Services Act (DSA) overview. Available at: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. The 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation. Available at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/code-practice-disinformation (10. 10. 2024).
European Commission. i. Welcome to the DSA Transparency Database! Available at: https://transparency.dsa.ec.europa.eu/ (10. 10. 2024).
European Parliament. 2024. European Democracy Action Plan In “A New Push for European Democracy”. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-new-push-for-european-democracy/file-european-democracy-action-plan (10. 10. 2024).
EU Digital Services Act. The Digital Services Act (DSA) Regulation (EU) 2022/2065. Available at: https://www.eu-digital-services-act.com/ (10. 10. 2024).
Freedom House. 2022. The EU Digital Services Act: A Win for Transparency, New tech regulations are poised to help civil society foster a more democratic online experience. Available at: https://freedomhouse.org/article/eu-digital-services-act-win-transparency (10. 10. 2024).
GDPR Hub. CJEU – C-507/17 – Google (Territorial scope of de-referencing). Available at: https://gdprhub.eu/index.php?title=CJEU_-_C-507/17_-_Google_(Territorial_scope_of_de-referencing) (10. 10. 2024).
Herbert Smith Freehills. 2022. The Digital Services Act: Europe’s new framework for online regulation to come into force next month. Available at: https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/notes/tmt/2022-10/the-digital-services-act-europes-new-framework-for-online-regulation-to-come-into-force-next-month (10. 10. 2024).
Marshall-Heyman, T. 2024. Digital Services Act: Age Verification and Protecting Children Online. Available at: https://www.criipto.com/blog/digital-services-act (10. 10. 2024).
Secure Privacy. 2024. Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union Explained. Available at: https://secureprivacy.ai/blog/eu-digital-services-act-explained (10. 10. 2024).
UCD Centre for Digital Policy. The Digital Services Act Package: A Primer. Available at: https://digitalpolicy.ie/the-digital-services-act-package-a-primer/ (10. 10. 2024).
Usercentrics. 2023. Key differences between the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). Available at: https://usercentrics.com/knowledge-hub/differences-between-digital-markets-act-and-digital-services-act/ (10. 10. 2024).