Six Goals for the Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to propose a new Digital Services Act – the legislation that could revise or repeal the e-Commerce Directive and create a new set of regulations for Internet intermediaries. The goal of the legislation is to create clearer and more harmonised rules for digital services and address concerns about illegal and harmful online content, while protecting digital innovation and free expression.

Writing in the European Cybersecurity Journal, Daniel Castro and Eline Chivot highlight six key goals the Commission should prioritize in the forthcoming Digital Services Act. In particular, the Act should clarify the types of platforms and content that fall under its scope; set proportionate responsibilities and obligations for platforms; increase legal certainty for platforms; protect freedom of expression; harmonize rules across the EU; and minimize the impact of its rules outside its borders.