Introduction to the Digital Services Act, Content Moderation and Consumer Protection

Abstract

In December 2020, the European Commission presented the Digital Services Act with the stated aim of ensuring a safe and accountable online environment. It mainly consists of a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Single Market for Digital Services. This article provides an analysis of the historical and systematic context of this proposal, including a guided tour of its content and an overview of the relationship with other European legislative instruments. The issue of content moderation in digital services is also further addressed, referring to the historical context of the legal regime now proposed. The different EU and US perspectives are outlined. The topic of consumer protection is also dealt with in the text, with emphasis on the most relevant provisions in this field and the problems that may arise therein.