TechKnowmad
In accordance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission has made a request to both TikTok and YouTube for information regarding their respective kid protection policies.
The deadline for the internet titans to respond to the Commission’s demands, which mostly focus on protecting children, is the 30th of November. After that, those in charge of regulation will examine the subsequent actions, one of which may be the initiation of official inquiries.
“The Commission is requesting the companies to provide more information on the measures they have taken to comply with their obligations related to the protection of minors under the DSA, including the obligations related to risk assessments and mitigation measures to protect minors online, in particular concerning the risks to mental and physical health, and on the use of their services by minors,” according to a press release issued by the Commission and reported according to TechCrunch.
Strict Enforcement of New Law
According to a report by Reuters, the industry chief for the European Union, Thierry Breton, has demanded an explanation from both TikTok and YouTube regarding their measures to protect children from inappropriate and illegal content in accordance with the DSA. A month ago, he requested that TikTok submit specifics regarding the activities it takes to protect minors and maintain the integrity of elections on its platform.
The Digital Service Architecture (DSA) establishes a governance framework for the responses of platforms to claims of unlawful items or content. Platforms with a greater user base have an increased number of responsibilities, including those concerning algorithmic features such as recommender engines. In order to ensure the safety and well-being of children, it is necessary to conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies. In addition, the rule makes it explicitly illegal to direct marketing toward children and teenagers.
If you are found to have violated the DSA, you could be subject to fines of up to 6% of your total annual sales from all over the world. In addition, there is the possibility of being penalized for failing to provide the data that was required.
This move comes at the same time as an intensified EU scrutiny of internet corporations on multiple fronts, including child safety, misinformation, and the distribution of illegal products.
In order to investigate Meta and X’s (formerly Twitter) responses to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Commission has already reached out to both of these companies.
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EU Also Targeting Illegal Items Being Sold Online
According to France 24, the European Commission is investigating the Chinese e-commerce site AliExpress to determine whether or not it complies with the Digital Services Act, which requires online marketplaces to combat the sale of illegal goods, such as counterfeit medications.
The Commission is going to look at the procedures that AliExpress has in place to prevent the illegal sale of goods. In addition, the Commission will investigate whether or not AliExpress compensates customers who have been harmed as a result of purchasing hazardous or counterfeit goods in a just manner, as well as how the company responds to claims of selling illegal items.
If the Commission concludes that AliExpress violated the DSA, the company might be subject to a fine of up to 6% of its annual revenue generated from all over the world.
AliExpress is a target of an investigation that is part of a bigger effort being made by the European Union (EU) to crack down on the online sale of illegal goods. In addition to Amazon and eBay, the Commission has also initiated investigations into a number of other important online marketplaces.
The Digital Single Market Act (DSMA) is the first substantial piece of legislation passed by the EU to combat the dominance of Internet businesses. It is meant to provide regulators additional authority so that they can protect consumers and hold firms accountable for their actions.
The Digital Services and Competition Act (DSCA), which is the sister legislation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), places stricter limitations on the ways in which TikTok and YouTube may conduct business. In September, the EU classified these 22 services as official ones. By the end of March 2024, companies are required to comply with the DMA in its entirety.
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