The European Union has taken a remarkable step towards DSA approval (Digital Services Act, or Digital Services Act), which could change quite significantly how technology companies in the EU work when it comes to collecting data from their users and showing them advertising, among other things. The law passed the first approval vote of said regulation in the European Parliamentalthough yes, it will still take a while to be definitively approved.
From now on, both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the EU’s legislative bodies, will begin to debate the contents of their regulations. This process, which will culminate in the vote on the final text of the Law, will last several months.
The approved version for now would force companies to remove content considered illegal in the country in which they are seen. For example, those related to holocaust denialism in Germany. In addition, it would also change, and notably, the way in which companies interact with their users and customers. It would also allow Europeans to opt out of targeted advertising more easily than now, apart from banning targeted advertising aimed at minors.
Before the vote, the DSA was subject to debate among the almost 700 members of the European Parliament. In said debate, the inclusion of a provision that would have completely prohibited segmented advertising was considered, but finally its integration into the text did not prosper. Instead of that users have been given the ability to opt out of certain types of tracking just by making an adjustment to the settings of the browser you use.
In addition, the law will, once passed, prohibit companies from using malicious tactics, such as dark patterns, to lure users into leaving data to sign up for services or pay for certain products. It would also make it possible for users to ask companies what characteristics, such as age or demographic information, have made them the target of a particular advertisement.
Until now, European lawmakers have been far more aggressive than their US counterparts in curtailing the power of tech companies and tightening their privacy practices. A) Yes, GDPR, which came into force in 2018, is one of the most powerful laws in the world in terms of privacy. In addition, it has inspired companies around the world to adjust their data collection techniques.
In the United States, the level of examination of the main technological companies is increasing, with several hearings in Congress, as well as proposals to address online security and competition within the sector. But so far no detailed regulations in this regard have been passed into law.
Both Democrats and Republicans have explored adding content moderation through changes to Section 230, a shield that protects companies from lawsuits over user-created content. But lawmakers are now deadlocked. Republicans say the companies have gone too far in removing content, and accuse them of censoring political speech online. Meanwhile, Democrats say the companies haven’t done enough. But this could change with the future approval of the DSA, which could influence the US Congress to increase transparency in the operation of social networks.
