Ending the "Wild West" on the Web. That's the stated goal of the DSA, which came into effect on August 25th. More concretely, the European text aims to: ensure optimal protection for users against online abuses, whether it be misinformation, illicit content, or scams.
Developed following intense negotiations between Europe and various platforms, this regulatory framework aims to thoroughly review the functioning of digital services, including social networks and online sellers. Among the platforms targeted by the DSA are Google, YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, totaling seventeen of the largest platforms as well as two search engines operating in Europe, totaling at least 45 million users. Smaller companies will have to comply with these new European rules starting from February 2024.
Developed following intense negotiations between Europe and various platforms, this regulatory framework aims to thoroughly review the functioning of digital services, including social networks and online sellers. Among the platforms targeted by the DSA are Google, YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, totaling seventeen of the largest platforms as well as two search engines operating in Europe, totaling at least 45 million users. Smaller companies will have to comply with these new European rules starting from February 2024.
Algorithms Under Scrutiny
Becoming daily companions for 80.5% of French people, according to a study by CB News, the omnipresence of social networks has profoundly altered our way of interacting with information, highlighting the complex mechanisms that govern our news feeds.
This phenomenon, referred to as "information bubbles" or "filter bubbles," created algorithmically, can reduce users' scope to a limited set of information and perspectives. This process, prevalent on social media, has fueled numerous conspiracy theories. In an interview with Ouest France, Aurélie Jean, a Doctor in digital sciences and author of the essay "Do Algorithms Make the Law?" (Ed. de L'Observatoire, 2021), draws attention to the dangers of these bubbles and advocates for their regulation, while also highlighting the complexity of regulating them: "We cannot regulate an algorithm because in most cases, we cannot fully evaluate it."
Activating this mechanism compels digital platforms in Europe to be more transparent about their operation mechanisms. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner, promised to "scrupulously enforce the DSA," as reported by HuffPost. "Europe is now the first jurisdiction in the world where online platforms no longer benefit from a free pass and no longer set their own rules. They are now regulated entities on par with financial institutions," he said.
This phenomenon, referred to as "information bubbles" or "filter bubbles," created algorithmically, can reduce users' scope to a limited set of information and perspectives. This process, prevalent on social media, has fueled numerous conspiracy theories. In an interview with Ouest France, Aurélie Jean, a Doctor in digital sciences and author of the essay "Do Algorithms Make the Law?" (Ed. de L'Observatoire, 2021), draws attention to the dangers of these bubbles and advocates for their regulation, while also highlighting the complexity of regulating them: "We cannot regulate an algorithm because in most cases, we cannot fully evaluate it."
Activating this mechanism compels digital platforms in Europe to be more transparent about their operation mechanisms. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner, promised to "scrupulously enforce the DSA," as reported by HuffPost. "Europe is now the first jurisdiction in the world where online platforms no longer benefit from a free pass and no longer set their own rules. They are now regulated entities on par with financial institutions," he said.
Platforms Facing New Regulations
"We welcome the regulations on online safety": that's the notification received by TikTok users on August 25th.
Pinned several times by France for its practices, the Chinese giant issued a press release describing its efforts to facilitate reporting and announcing the possibility of disabling its recommendation algorithm in Europe. According to Thierry Breton, Meta employs over 1,000 individuals to comply with the new European requirements. In June, Elon Musk also promised that X (formerly Twitter) would comply with EU regulations, without providing further details on concrete measures. On Friday, the billionaire asserted that the platform was working intensively to comply with European rules.
Impact on the Communication World
The Digital Services Act (DSA) allows users to disable the content recommendation algorithm, thus theoretically paving the way for a less influenced and more open experience. To reach their audiences, influencers and businesses will therefore be forced to rethink their approach.
The European text could have effects on the visibility of sponsored content and public interaction. Among the changes induced by the DSA, we can note:
- Platforms are required to implement a reporting mechanism for European users, allowing them to report any real-life illegal content (such as a "Report Illegal Content in Europe" button).
- Online selling platforms (such as Amazon, AliExpress) must now verify the reliability of a seller before allowing them to operate on their sites.
- Platforms must make public the operation of their algorithms.
- Targeted advertisements are now prohibited for minors. Facebook and Google are no longer allowed to personalize advertising for individuals under 18.
- Advertisements cannot target religious groups or sexual orientations.
- Each feed must have an alternative without algorithmic intervention, which could be a chronological feed limited to the people followed by the user, to avoid any computational influence on thoughts.
These new regulations seem to herald a new era for digital communication. Now, it remains to be seen how communication strategies will be adapted to these new rules of the game.
Randa El Fekih