The Digital Services Act (DSA), , had been awaiting the adoption of bill 8309 transposing it into Luxembourg law. This was done on Wednesday 2 April, when MPs voted on it during a public session.

The DSA is a European regulation that is designed to protect consumers and SMEs on the internet by making general terms and conditions easier to read, providing clearer information and simplifying the reporting of illegal content. It establishes clear responsibilities for digital platforms--such as online marketplaces or social networks--to prevent and, where necessary, remove illegal content as quickly as possible. The European Commission, however, has , following the return of US president Donald Trump, a fervent defender of big internet companies.

Political time is always longer than real time, so the future of the text that has just been transposed into Luxembourg law is already in doubt.

Twenty-five platforms identified

“The DSA is a major step forward. By introducing fully harmonised rules applicable across the 27 member countries of the European Union, it will help combat the spread of illegal content, such as the sale of dangerous products, messages inciting hatred or the sharing of terrorist content, whilst guaranteeing the protection of users’ fundamental rights on the internet,” commented the minister for the economy, SMEs, energy and tourism, (DP).

In particular, the DSA requires each EU country to designate a competent authority to coordinate the proper application of the DSA (as a “coordinator for digital services”). The new law gives this role to the Competition Authority, which will monitor that platforms established in Luxembourg comply with DSA rules.

In its capacity as coordinator, the Competition Authority will be required to cooperate with other Luxembourg authorities with a supervisory role on the Internet, such as the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) for data protection, the Luxembourg Independent Audiovisual Authority (Alia) for audiovisual content and the Luxembourg Institute of Standardisation, Accreditation, Safety and Quality of Products and Services (Ilnas) for dangerous products. To date, the European Commission has identified and designated 25 very large platforms, including Aliexpress, Amazon or Meta.

This article was originally published in .