I honestly don't understand how these entries on the proposed Digital Services Act and Digital Marketing Act will work or if they will affect people in the United States, but they seem to be a game-changer in Europe and might eventually create pressure for more regulation of social media in the United States. I am providing some links here, moving the Popular Science entry from last to first because it's in the plainest English:
• Everything you need to know about the battle between US tech and EU laws (Harry Guinness, Popular Science, 4-27-22)
"The European Parliament recently approved the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. Here's how that could affect big tech.
"According to the EU, the DSA and DMA have two big goals: “create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected” and “establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.”
"In practice, this means overseeing how large social networks, search engines, and other tech companies do business, and limiting how they use consumer data.
"The DSA in particular has rules targeted at online services like Facebook, Instagram, Google, and TikTok. It bans targeted advertising aimed at children, or based on sensitive data like religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. It also bans “dark patterns” or deceptive design elements that can trick you into buying or signing up for something unintentionally. For example, websites will have to present the buttons to opt in and out of targeted ads equally; the option to opt out can’t be tucked away behind a text link on the second page of settings and written in a small font colored to match the background. Unless US tech companies create separate page and app designs just for EU customers, this will hopefully improve the web user experience around the world."
Etc.
• EU poised to impose sweeping social media regulation with Digital Services Act (Technology + Press Freedom, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 5-8-22) The European Union is on the verge of doing what the U.S. has not done (and, in some cases, could not do) — comprehensively regulate social media platforms. Last week, the European Parliament and EU Council reached an agreement on the Digital Services Act, and while the final text has not been released, the law would impose sweeping new rules for internet platforms, regulating everything from “dark patterns” and algorithms to public safety threats and illegal content.
The DSA, and its partner regulation, the Digital Markets Act, were introduced to the European Parliament in 2020. The European Commission said the regulations were intended to accomplish two goals: “create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected” and “establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.”
• Digital Services Act: Council and European Parliament provisional agreement for making the internet a safer space for European citizens (Council of the European Union, 4-23-22)
The Digital Services Act package "The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act aim to create a safer digital space where the fundamental rights of users are protected and to establish a level playing field for businesses. What are Digital Services?
Digital services include a large category of online services, from simple websites to internet infrastructure services and online platforms.
"The rules specified in the DSA primarily concern online intermediaries and platforms. For example, online marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, app stores, and online travel and accommodation platforms.
"The Digital Markets Act includes rules that govern gatekeeper online platforms. Gatekeeper platforms are digital platforms with a systemic role in the internal market that function as bottlenecks between businesses and consumers for important digital services. Some of these services are also covered in the Digital Services Act, but for different reasons and with different types of provisions.
• Deal on Digital Markets Act: EU rules to ensure fair competition and more choice for users (Press Releases, European Parliament, 3-24-22) Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp
"On Thursday evening, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed new EU rules to limit the market power of big online platforms.
"The Digital Markets Act (DMA) will ban certain practices used by large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” and enable the Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour.
"The text provisionally agreed by Parliament and Council negotiators targets large companies providing so-called “core platform services” most prone to unfair business practices, such as social networks or search engines, with a market capitalisation of at least 75 billion euro or an annual turnover of 7.5 billion. To be designated as “gatekeepers”, these companies must also provide certain services such as browsers, messengers or social media, which have at least 45 million monthly end users in the EU.and 10 000 annual business users.
"During a close to 8-hour long trilogue (three-way talks between Parliament, Council and Commission), EU lawmakers agreed that the largest messaging services (such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request. Users of small or big platforms would then be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls across messaging apps, thus giving them more choice. As regards interoperability obligation for social networks, co-legislators agreed that such interoperability provisions will be assessed in the future.
• Digital Services Act: agreement for a transparent and safe online environment (Press releases, European Parliament, 4-23-22)
---Access to platforms’ algorithms now possible
---Online platforms will have to remove illegal products, services or content swiftly after they have been reported
---Protection of minors online reinforced; additional bans on targeted advertising for minors as well as targeting based on sensitive data
---Users will be better informed how content is recommended to them
• Digital Services Act: Council and European Parliament provisional agreement for making the internet a safer space for European citizens (Council of the European Union, 4-23-22)
"The DSA follows the principle that what is illegal offline must also be illegal online. It aims to protect the digital space against the spread of illegal content, and to ensure the protection of users’ fundamental rights. The DSA introduces an obligation for very large digital platforms and services to analyse systemic risks they create and to carry out risk reduction analysis. This analysis must be carried out every year and will enable continuous monitoring aimed at reducing risks associated with:
---dissemination of illegal content
---adverse effects on fundamental rights
---manipulation of services having an impact on democratic processes and public security
---adverse effects on gender-based violence, and on minors and serious consequences for the physical or mental health of users."
• EU officially boots Russia’s RT, Sputnik outlets (Laura Kayali and Clothilde Goujard,Politico Pro, 3-2-22)
"Kremlin-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik are officially banned in the EU as of Wednesday morning, in a move meant to crack down on Russian disinformation amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"The sanctions against the news groups were published in the EU's Official Journal, effectively providing legal grounds to implement the Commission and EU governments’ decision to take both Russian state-run organizations off the air and offline within the bloc.
“[The measures] are also limited in time, because they should be maintained until the aggression is put to an end and until Russia and its media outlets cease to conduct propaganda actions against the Union and the member states,” the EU official added."