Position paper on the proposal for a Digital Services Act

On 15 December 2020, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation on a Single Market for Digital Services (‘DSA’). Building on the key principles set out in the e-Commerce Directive, which remain valid today, this proposal seeks to ensure the best conditions for the provision of innovative digital services in the internal market, to contribute to online safety and the protection of fundamental rights, and to set a robust and durable governance structure for the effective supervision of providers of intermediary services.

Bitkom supports the ambition of the Digital Services Act to strengthen the digital market in the EU. The planned reform is an opportunity to establish a clear, horizontal, uniform and up-to-date, innovation-friendly legislative framework for providers of digital services. We aim for a legal framework that allows service providers to tackle the task of keeping the internet safe and play their parts in creating a healthier online environment.

With this paper, we take the opportunity to comment on the framework proposed, highlighting our most urgent open questions and concerns.