The sanctions initially imposed on the 19 major platforms with fines of 6% of their turnover will apply from today, Friday
From this Friday, sanctions will apply for possible breaches of the European Union’s new digital law, which initially affects the 19 major platforms and in particular provides for fines of 6% of their billing.
This is one of the main messages of EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who, in an interview with France Info radio station, stressed that “from today the entire law applies, including the sanctions”.
Known as the DSA (Digital Services Act), large platforms with more than 45 million monthly users, such as Tiktok, must also join the rest of the smaller websites on February 17, 2024.
Breton recalled that one of the obligations is that everyone must show “an access button” so that internet users can say what they consider to be violations of the law, such as hate speech or apologies for terrorism.
Platforms have had to set up moderation teams to monitor content posted by their users, and Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram) has said it has hired more than 1,000 people, a number the commissioner saw as “very significant”, though he pointed out that it was necessary to refer to the results of his intervention to see if it was enough.
Breton emphasized that the DSA simplifies litigation against allegedly criminal content since companies, for example, have to answer in the courts of the citizens who report them and not, as before, where their headquarters are located.
This, too, will allow “more freedom” since the platforms cannot “unilaterally” ban a user from access, as Twitter did with former United States President Donald Trump, who had his account suspended in January 2021. but they must open an adversarial procedure.
In addition, they must meet new transparency requirements regarding Internet content and the protection of minors.
