Strict EU rules for Google, X and Meta come into force
The EU’s landmark rules on illegal digital content came into force today with internet giants such as Google, Amazon and social network X, formerly known as Twitter, risking hefty fines worth up to 6% of annual turnover in worldwide for infringement.
The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) applies to 19 very large search engines and platforms with more than 45 million active users.
Companies will have to remove child pornography and terrorist propaganda more quickly and also make it easier for users to report such content.
Online marketplaces like Amazon are now required to remove counterfeit products or dangerous toys to the best of their ability and inform consumers if an illegal product has been purchased.
In addition, companies must regularly report to the European Commission on the extent to which their platforms endanger mental health or freedom of expression.
Welcoming the new rules, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a video on X that his team would be very rigorous in checking that systemic platforms are compliant.
Elon Musk, the owner of X, and the recipient of numerous public warnings from the EU about regulatory obligations, told Breton that his company was “working hard on this”.
The nineteen platforms and search engines initially included are Zalando, Wikipedia, Booking.com, Tik Tok, X, Facebook, Amazon Marketplace and Apple’s App Store, as well as Alibaba AliExpress, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn , Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube and the Google and Bing search engines.
