The EU Commission defends officials and accelerates the application of the DSA under political pressure.

The European Commission states that it applies the Digital Services Act with strict adherence to procedures and protects its staff while investigating the systemic risks of large platforms, including the addictive design of TikTok. The EU Commission protects its officials and accelerates the implementation of the DSA under political pressures. Displays information about the image. Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission on digital files, during a press briefing. The European Commission has stated that it fully protects the officials involved in the implementation of the Digital Services Act and that it strictly adheres to legal procedures, rejecting accusations of censorship and external political pressures, while accelerating investigations into the systemic risks posed by large online platforms, including TikTok.

In short The Commission states that it strictly adheres to legal procedures in the implementation of the DSA. The European executive says it protects the officials targeted by exposures and external pressures. TikTok is preliminarily targeted for issues related to addictive design. The Commission insists that the DSA targets systems and risks, not individual content. Brussels rejects accusations of differential treatment between platforms.

In a press briefing, the spokesperson for the European Commission on digital files, Thomas Regnier, emphasized that adherence to legal procedures is a central principle of the Commission's action. "This highlights, once again, the importance of following the correct procedure. This is what the Commission always does before publishing anything," Regnier said.

Commenting on the publication of the names of some Commission officials in a report by a committee of the US Congress, Regnier stated that the institution "fully supports its staff" and that it has "the duty and obligation to protect its officials when it exercises its duties." He specified that this "could lead to the provision of legal and financial assistance, if and when relevant," with the assessment being made "on a case-by-case basis."

Regnier rejected accusations of censorship related to the implementation of the Digital Services Act, emphasizing that the European executive does not analyze individual posts. "We do not analyze a message from a social network from the perspective of the DSA. We analyze the systems that platforms have put in place to prevent this type of content from being amplified and gaining visibility," he said. According to the Commission, the basic principle is that "what is illegal offline is illegal online."

Regarding TikTok, the Commission indicated the existence of substantial issues related to the addictive design of the platform. Regnier stated that there is "a serious problem with TikTok's addictive design," which is why the Commission has preliminarily found a violation of the DSA and has urged the platform to "urgently address this addictive design in Europe." He cited the scale of the impact, mentioning that TikTok has approximately 170 million users in the European Union.

When asked whether it is tougher on Chinese platforms than on American ones, the Commission rejected the idea of a double standard. Regnier emphasized that the first fine applied under the DSA targeted platform X and that investigations are being conducted "in parallel" for all platforms, regardless of their origin. "There is no timidity and no fear. We are applying our legislation," he said.

The Commission also stated that it "stands alongside member states" that are trying to hold platforms accountable and emphasized the harmonizing role of the DSA. "It is extremely important to respect the harmonizing effect of the Digital Services Act, to protect the 450 million citizens of the European Union," Regnier said.

Regarding potential sanctions, the Commission reminded that the DSA theoretically allows fines of up to 6% of the global annual turnover of the provider, but emphasized that any sanction must be proportional and that platforms have the right to defense before any final decision.

The Digital Services Act is the EU legislation that establishes obligations for online platforms regarding the management of illegal content and systemic risks, including the protection of minors and the prevention of the amplification of harmful content. The European Commission is responsible for enforcing the DSA in the case of very large platforms, and investigations focus on their internal systems and processes, not on individual content moderation.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/comisia-ue-isi-apara-functionarii-si-accelereaza-aplicarea-dsa-sub-presiuni-politice