The Digital Services Act (DSA) proposal aims to protect EU citizens’ fundamental rights online, by strengthening, modernising and clarifying the rules for digital services to ensure the safety of users online and allow innovative digital businesses to grow.

The DSA follows the principle that what is considered as illegal offline must also be illegal online. Therefore, it sets out an unprecedented new standard for the accountability of online platforms regarding illegal and harmful content. It will also provide better protection for internet users and their fundamental rights, as well as define a single set of rules in the internal market.

An important step has now been achieved with the provisional political agreement reached on the DSA proposal between the Council and the European Parliament. The political agreement is now subject to formal approval by the two co-legislators.

Once it is adopted, all online intermediaries offering their services in the single market, whether they are established in the EU or outside, will have to conform to the new rules, ensuring a safe, open and fair online environment in the EU in the years to come.