The Digital Services Act and freedom of expression: triumph or failure?

Abstract

The Digital Services Act ('DSA') 1 is part of the long-awaited package aimed at providing a transparency and accountability framework for online platforms and laying down additional duties for large providers with gatekeeping powers. There is surely a lot to unpack in this hefty proposal. This piece looks at new obligations and regulatory powers introduced by the DSA and examines their potential to safeguard freedom of expression. It also uncovers some of the DSA's controversial points which policymakers should be looking out for in the course of the legislative process.