- 2022
- 2023
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Digital Services Act
First list of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) covered by the DSA rules
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Digital Services Act
Deadline for VLOPs and VLOSEs to prepare risk assessment reports under the Digital Services Act
- 2024
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Digital Services Act
Entry into full application of the Digital Services Act with designation of Digital Services Coordinators
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Digital Services Act
The European Commission opens an investigation against Microsoft on AI and elections
- 2025
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Digital Services Act
Kickoff of work on Codes of Conduct for Online Advertising at the European Commission
Entry into Force of Digital Services Act (DSA)
After a 2-year-long legislative procedure, the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of new rules to regulate online platforms, was published in the Official Journal and entered into force on 17 November 2022. This marks the start of the implementation period, with rules to become fully applicable only in 2024.
First list of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) covered by the DSA rules
Under the Digital Services Act, the European Commission has to designate a list of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs), which would have to comply with stricter obligations, given their size and influence on the online sphere. Among these obligations, there is also the drafting of reports assessing risks for civic discourse and electoral processes and putting forward related mitigation measures. The first list of VLOPs and VLOSEs included: AliExpress, Amazon, App Store, Bing, Booking, Facebook, Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter (X), Wikipedia, YouTube and Zalando. These were later followed by: PornHub, Shein, XNXX, Stripchat, Temu and XVideos.
Deadline for VLOPs and VLOSEs to prepare risk assessment reports under the Digital Services Act
Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) designated by the European Commission, for their size and influence on the online sphere, have to draft annual reports assessing risks for civic discourse and electoral processes and putting forward related mitigation measures. The first set of reports was due by 17 August 2023 and was made public in November 2024.
Entry into full application of the Digital Services Act with designation of Digital Services Coordinators
The Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s new rules to regulate online platforms, became fully applicable for all sorts of online platforms on 17 February 2024. This was also the deadline for EU Member States to designate national authorities in charge of the DSA enforcement, the Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs). Many Member States, however, missed the deadline and are still struggling to officially designate competent authorities, to properly staff them and to train them to enforce the new rules.
Digital Services Coordinators to be fully designated
On 26 February 2024, the European Commission published Guidelines on the mitigation of systemic risks for electoral processes to complement Digital Services Act rules when it comes to election integrity. EPD has pointed out strength and weaknesses of these Guidelines in a joint paper with Civil Liberties Union for Europe.
Adoption of guidance on risk mitigation for electoral processes
Under the Digital Services Act, the new EU rules to regulate online platforms, the European Commission is empowered to adopt guidelines on how Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) should mitigate risks for civic discourse and electoral processes. To this end, the Commission published Guidance on risk mitigation for electoral processes ahead of the EU elections.
The European Commission opens an investigation against Meta on political ads
On 30 April the European Commission opened an investigation on Meta regarding its policies and practices relating to deceptive advertising and political content on its services. The DSA does not set any legal deadline for bringing formal proceedings to an end. A non-compliance decision could include fines up to 6% of the global turnover.
The European Commission opens an investigation against Microsoft on AI and elections
On 17 May the European Commission opened an investigation on Microsoft on risks posed by Bing’s generative AI tools, which may have breached the DSA for risks linked to generative AI, such as so-called ‘hallucinations’, the viral dissemination of deepfakes, as well as the automated manipulation of services that can mislead voters. The DSA does not set any legal deadline for bringing formal proceedings to an end. A non-compliance decision could include fines up to 6% of the global turnover.
Publication of the Draft Delegated Act on data access for researchers
Under the Digital Services Act, Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) are obliged to share data on systemic risks and mitigation measures on their platforms with researchers. This draft delegated act clarifies the procedures on how researchers can access such data and sets out rules on data formats and data documentation requirements. The final text should be adopted in 2025.
VLOPs and VLOSEs publish their second risk assessment report
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), requires Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) to identify and mitigate risks to democracy caused by their services, such as threats to civic discourse and electoral processes. Large tech companies are then required to publish their risk assessment findings and take measures to mitigate risks in the future. Since 2024, reports on risks and mitigation strategies have been published annually. In November 2025, VLOPs and VLOSEs published their second risk assessment report.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence has been at the top of the EU agenda since the start of the 2019-2024 mandate, with the proposal for an Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). The discussions around it, however, intensified further in 2023, with the boom of generative AI systems. From deep fakes of politicians circulated online to AI-generated disinformation campaigns, from AI systems used for microtargeting of political ads to chatbot-based AI systems to provide voter assistance, AI applications with the potential to impact democracy and elections are countless. EPD is therefore working on assessing the effectiveness of mechanisms in the AI Act to mitigate the risks posed by such applications.
The Digital Services Act
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU horizontal framework of rules put forward to create a safer online space. As many challenges posed by online platforms and regulated via the DSA can have an impact on democratic civic discourse and electoral processes, such as the spread of disinformation, coordinated attacks against civil society or the lack of transparency on how recommender systems work, having a DSA that works for democracy is of utmost importance for EPD.
Transparency and targeting of political advertising
Political advertising online has been historically the main focus of EPD’s work in the digital sphere. Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it has become increasingly evident how online practices such as micro-targeting of political ads can steer public opinion ahead of elections. When the European Commission put forward its proposal for a Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA), EPD took an active role in leading the advocacy work on this file by promoting more transparency and accountability for both sponsors and online platforms.
Our work on these files is funded by Civitates and the Open Society Foundations.