The Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory

The Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory is a new project run by the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the University of Amsterdam, which kicked-off in January 2021. The DSA Observatory acts as a hub of expertise with respect to the “Digital Services Act” package presented by the European Commission in December 2020.

The DSA Observatory provides independent scientific input during the DSA debate and to engage different stakeholders on the DSA proposals, in particular on the challenge of confronting platform power from a fundamental rights and democratic values perspective. To achieve these goals, the Observatory will bring together a broad network of platform regulation experts in academia and other relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations, policymakers and regulators.

The DSA Observatory will closely follow the DSA process and generate regular outputs on relevant developments, including through dissemination activities, workshops and expert meetings.

NEWS

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ANALYSIS

Expert insights: Fundamental rights in DSA dispute resolution procedures

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By John Albert, DSA Observatory

Despite claims that it is “institutionalizing censorship,” the DSA is designed to protect fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. One key example is its provision allowing EU users to challenge platforms’ content moderation decisions through out-of-court dispute settlement (ODS) proceedings—a topic explored in depth at a recent workshop hosted by the DSA Observatory and the Article 21 Academic Advisory Board.

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TikTok and the Romanian elections: A stress test for DSA enforcement

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By John Albert, DSA Observatory

On December 17th, the Commission opened formal proceedings against TikTok to investigate whether the platform diligently managed electoral risks in the Romanian context. This case demonstrates two gears of regulatory action under the DSA: the slow, methodical pace of analyzing systemic risks and setting standards, and the fast, politically charged scramble to respond to high-profile crises.  

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DSA risk assessment reports: A guide to the first rollout and what’s next

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By John Albert, DSA Observatory

Recently published risk assessment reports may offer new insights into how the largest online platforms think about and manage risks. But the first rollout has already raised questions about publication timelines, redactions, and formats. This post aims to clarify some of these ambiguities, and points toward upcoming regulatory guidance on risk assessments and opportunities for stakeholder engagement. 

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Researcher access to platform data: Experts weigh in on the Delegated Act

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By John Albert, DSA Observatory

This post shares insights from a DSA Observatory workshop held on 18 November 2024, where researchers and legal experts met to discuss what’s new in the draft delegated act, what’s missing, and how to approach the Commission’s call for feedback.  

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EVENTS

The Digital Services Act Observatory at the Amsterdam Law School will be hosting events on a variety of topics which are relevant to the DSA discussion and process. Information on these events will be posted here.

Please get in touch if you would like to share your ideas for a DSA-related event or discuss your research at one of our events.

Summer course 2024 on “European Platform Regulation”

March 19, 2024/by admin

The DSA and Platform Regulation Conference 2024

July 7, 2023/by admin

23 February 2023 – Expert workshop on “Online journalism: Digital Services Act & Media Freedom Act”

February 20, 2023/by admin

24 November 2021 – Expert Workshop “Access to Justice and Content Moderation”

November 22, 2021/by admin
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ABOUT

The DSA Observatory

The Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory is a new project run by the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the University of Amsterdam, which kicked-off in January 2021. The DSA Observatory acts as a hub of expertise with respect to the “Digital Services Act” package presented by the European Commission in December 2020.

Project team

The core project team for the DSA Observatory is composed of prof. Joris van Hoboken, Ilaria Buri, Paddy Leerssen, dr. Ronan Fahy, prof. Natali Helberger, prof. Martin Senftleben, dr. João Pedro Quintais and Doris Bujis.

Funding and collaboration with the Digital Legal Lab

The DSA Observatory is part of the “Digital Transformations of Decision-Making” research initiative of the Amsterdam Law School and contributes to the activities of the Digital Legal Lab, an interuniversity research centre on law and digital technologies run by a research network between four Dutch universities: Tilburg University, the University of Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen and Maastricht University. This joint research initiative, the Digital Legal Studies Sector Plan for legal research is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). The DSA Observatory was launched thanks to the funding of the Open Society Foundations.

CONTACT

The DSA Observatory team can be reached by email at:

j.v.j.vanhoboken@uva.nl or i.buri@uva.nl

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