EU
Stricter rules for internet companies come into force
Large online companies like Amazon have had to adhere to the rules since August 2023. photo
© Moritz Frankenberg/dpa
From Saturday onwards, online platforms across the EU will have to take action against illegal content. This means better protection for users.
From Saturday, even small online platforms will have to comply with stricter rules, for example when it comes to consumer protection and the transparency of advertising. According to the For example, the EU Commission must give users the opportunity to report illegal content, goods and services.
Providers of very large online platforms such as Google, Amazon or YouTube have had to adhere to the rules – which are part of the Digital Services Act (DSA) – since August 2023. The EU Commission is responsible for monitoring the online giants. For smaller providers who now have to follow suit, in Germany this is the Federal Network Agency. An example of a service that now falls under the DSA is the online market Kleinanzeigen.de.
Platforms must provide their users with information about the ads they see – for example, why the ads are shown to them and who paid for the ads. In addition, minors should be given special protection. It is forbidden to specifically target them with advertising that is based on personal data.
The digital association Bitkom speaks of a milestone for Internet users in the EU. Consumers would be better protected against disinformation, hate speech or counterfeit products, and online security would be significantly increased.