Violators could face hefty fines under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).
Nineteen major platforms, such as Facebook or TikTok, will face the strictest rules, including plans to protect children and stop election interference.
A number of companies have already made changes, some of which will affect users in the UK.
While the UK Online Safety Act is still before Parliament, the EU’s Digital Services Act has become law on 16 November 2022.
But companies have time to make sure their systems are compliant.
On April 25, the Commission unveiled the very largest online platforms that will be subject to the strictest regulations, those with 45 million EU users. They include: Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple App Store, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Wikipedia, YouTube and Zalando. Search engines such as Google and Bing will also be subject to these regulations.
They have four months to comply with the bill. Smaller technology service providers will not have to comply until next year.
Violations can result in fines of up to 6% of turnover and possible suspension of services.
In DSA, there are additional requirements for these very large platforms and search engines. They must assess the potential risks that may be posed, report on that assessment and take steps to address the problem. These include questions related to the risks of:
illegal content
Rights, such as freedom of expression, media freedom, discrimination, consumer protection and children’s rights
Public Safety and Threats to the Electoral Process Gender-Based Violence, Public Health, Protection of Minors, and Mental and Physical Health. Targeted advertising based on portraits of children is no longer allowed.
They must also share details of their algorithm work with regulators. This could include algorithms that determine which ads users see or which posts appear in their feeds. They also need to establish systems for sharing data with independent researchers.
In blog posts and statements to the BBC, organizations have highlighted their efforts to comply with the Act. Both TikTok and Meta said more than 1,000 people across various parts of their businesses have worked to comply with the act.
Many companies have implemented some changes. Some of these changes focus on personalized ads and updates, including:
From July 2021, TikTok will stop showing personalized ads based on their online activities to European users aged between 13 and 17.
From February 2022, Meta’s apps, including Facebook and Instagram, will stop showing ads based on their app activity to users aged 13 to 17 worldwide.
In Europe, Facebook and Instagram let users selectively see posts from only the people they follow, arranged in chronological order.
In the UK and Europe, Snapchat also limits personalized ads for users aged 13 to 17. The company is also creating a library of ads to show in the EU.
Also a promise to give researchers more data: Google has pledged to increase data access for people who want to learn more about how Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play and Shopping work.
Some companies have not provided details of the changes they have made when asked by the BBC. X, formerly Twitter, simply said they were “on track” to meet their compliance deadlines.
Retailers Zalando and Amazon have taken legal action against what they consider to be very large online platforms. Amazon does not consider them the largest retailer in any of the EU countries in which they operate.
Nonetheless, Amazon has taken steps to comply with the act and “created a new channel for submitting notifications of allegedly illegal products and content.” Zalando told the BBC they would comply with the bill.
Wikipedia has made some changes to DSA, but the foundation behind the project says the changes should not affect users’ day-to-day experience. The foundation believes the regulatory approach in the DSA is superior to that of the Online Safety Act. The foundation said some of the requirements in UK legislation were difficult for them to comply with.
Phil Bradley-Schmieg, legal adviser to the Wikimedia Foundation, told the BBC: “We want lawmakers to emulate the DSA; understand the diverse internet ecosystem; and protect online safety, freedom and public projects.