The EU can be proud of the speed with which it is advancing the regulation of the Internet.
After the law for digital markets, with which the EU restricts the market power of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, the European Parliament and member states have now also agreed on the sister law, the law for digital services.
With this DSA, the EU is creating clear rules for how platforms should deal with illegal content and at the same time ensuring that users can take action against the hasty deletion of posts.
It puts a stop to the manipulation of users through misleading offers and sets new standards – worldwide – for restricting the spread of disinformation, hate and hate speech on the Internet.
The Russian war against Ukraine showed once again how important the latter is.
In the future, the large Internet platforms will have to check once a year whether their recommendation algorithms are better placed and thus spread disinformation and hate speech.
If this poses a threat to democracy, diversity of opinion or the mental well-being of its users, they must take remedial action.
They must also give the Commission and scientists access to their algorithms.
Unfortunately, without the pressure generated in this way, it is not possible.
Conspiracy theories, disinformation and violent videos sell too well – i.e. get a lot of clicks – for Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok to forgo the advertising revenue they generate.
The Commission's strong scrutiny role is not to everyone's liking.
However, it is necessary to avoid the mistake of the General Data Protection Regulation that Germany controls every sports club, but Ireland allows the Internet giants based there to do their thing.
The designation of the DSA as the new "Basic Law for the Internet" is probably too high.
In particular, how the restriction of disinformation and hate speech works has yet to be proven.
The new controls of the DSA do not change the basic problem that their distribution remains financially very attractive for the platforms.