The EU Commission has announced the 19 online companies and search engines, including Bing and Google, that will have to comply with new transparency and accountability regulations by August. Credit: European Commission The EU Commission has announced 19 large online platforms and search engines that will face new content moderation rules under the Digital Services Act. The legislation, passed last year, introduced a specific regime for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs), all of which have more than 45 million users in the EU. Amazon Store, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube are just some of the 17 companies the EU Commission designated VLOP in its announcement Tuesday. The VLOSEs are Bing and Google Search. The companies listed by the Commission will be required to comply with the full set of new obligations under the DSA by August 25. Those obligations include: various features meant to empower users, such as the right to opt-out from recommendation systems based on profiling; strengthening protection of minors; more diligent content moderation policies to help reduce disinformation; and greater transparency and accountability. By the August deadline, the designated platforms and search engines will need to show the EU Commission that they have successfully adapted their systems, resources, and processes to become compliant, set up an independent system of compliance, and have carried out and reported their first annual risk assessment to the Commission. Failure to comply with the DSA will result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover. The DSA was approved by the European Parliament in April 2022 and sets out new rules for how internet companies should keep European users safe from online disinformation and illegal content, goods and services. New EU rules for internet giants In addition to defining obligations to protect children and tackle disinformation, the legislation bans the practice of targeting users online based on their religion, gender or sexual preferences, so-called dark patterns to trick users, and deceptive web design aimed at encouraging people to unwillingly click on online content. “The whole logic of our rules is to ensure that technology serves people and the societies that we live in — not the other way around,” said Margrethe Vestager, the Commission’s competition commissioner, said in comments posted alongside the announcement. “The Digital Services Act will bring about meaningful transparency and accountability of platforms and search engines and give consumers more control over their online life. The designations made today are a huge step forward to making that happen.” Related content reviews Chrome vs. Edge: Which browser is better for business? With web apps the new normal, the humble web browser powers the business world like never before. We take a deep dive into the two leading desktop browsers. By Preston Gralla May 20, 2024 37 mins Chrome Microsoft Edge Browsers opinion AI glasses + multimodal AI = a massive new industry New tech demos last week by OpenAI and Google show why smart glasses are the perfect platform for AI chatbots. By Mike Elgan May 20, 2024 7 mins Google Generative AI Computers and Peripherals analysis With three zero-days, it’s a patch-now Patch Tuesday for May This is one of those months where it’s important to roll out Microsoft’s latest round of fixes as soon as you can. By Greg Lambert May 17, 2024 9 mins Microsoft Windows 10 Windows Security opinion Review: The M4 iPad Pro — an amazing AI PC Light, thin, and indiscreetly powerful, Apple's new iPad Pro will be seen as more than just a tablet once Apple introduces genAI in iPadOS. By Jonny Evans May 17, 2024 11 mins iPad Apple iOS Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe