The Commission has proposed set of new rules for all digital services, including social media, online market places, and other online platforms that operate in the EU: the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.

The aim is to foster innovation, growth and competitiveness as well as provide users with new, better and reliable online services. These new rules will also support the scaling up of smaller platforms, small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups thanks to easy access to customers across the single market and lower compliance costs.

In particular, the Digital Service Act will introduce a series of new harmonised EU obligations for digital services, that connect consumers to goods, services, or content, as well as new procedures for faster removal of illegal content in order to protect users' fundamental rights online.

The Digital Markets Act will institute harmonised rules defining and prohibiting unfair practices by platforms acting as digital gatekeepers to the single market. Also, it will provide an enforcement mechanism based on market investigations.

The European Parliament and the Member States will discuss the Commission's proposals in the ordinary legislative procedure. If adopted, the final text will be directly applicable across the European Union.

To find out more, please read the press release.

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ECTA Internet Committee actively contributed to the open consultation in preparation of this legislative package, launched by the Commission in June 2020.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Internet Committee, don’t forget to submit your application in January 2021 when the General Committee Elections will be launched.