{"id":1934,"date":"2022-01-20T16:29:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T15:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greens-efa.eu\/opinions\/?p=1934"},"modified":"2022-01-21T12:30:13","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T11:30:13","slug":"the-digital-services-act-is-coming-what-will-it-mean-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greens-efa.eu\/opinions\/the-digital-services-act-is-coming-what-will-it-mean-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"The Digital Services Act is coming. What will it mean for you?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The European Parliament has voted on a new law for online services, known as the Digital Services Act. Alexandra Geese MEP<\/strong> talks us through some of the problems of the digital age and what the Greens\/EFA are doing to protect our fundamental rights.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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We shop online, we bank online, we listen to music online. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, most of us now work online, chat with our friends on WhatsApp and take our exercise classes via Zoom. The last EU law to set out rules for online services was adopted in 2000 (the e-commerce directive<\/a>). A lot has happened since then. Back in 2000, the world was still using ICQ and MSN Messenger. It\u2019s safe to say the way we use the internet has changed dramatically.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The last couple of decades have seen the rise of a few giant online platforms. By now, it\u2019s hard to imagine life without Facebook, Google and Amazon. And while millions of us use these services, it\u2019s undeniable that they\u2019ve shifted the balance of power.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Over half (57%) of all Europeans are on social media networks<\/a>. And, in most EU countries, a majority of us get news from social media<\/a> every day. Online platforms have a direct impact on our fundamental rights, our society and democracy.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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These big changes have come with some big challenges. We\u2019re all aware of the spread of disinformation. We all see the rise of hate speech and online harassment. New ways of influencing elections and votes. Manipulative features that trick us out of our data. Companies tracking our clicks and targeting ads based on what they think we\u2019ll buy next. Fake traders selling scams or dangerous goods with no accountability.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Clearly, after more than 20 years, it is time for an updated European digital law.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What will the Digital Services Act do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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The Digital Services Act will tackle some of these challenges. New rules will clarify how illegal content is taken down. New transparency requirements for companies will help ensure products sold online are safe and that buyers can see exactly who they are buying from. It will also give us more control over what we see online and a real choice about whether to allow companies to advertise to us (and how). If done right, the Digital Services Act will make the internet both safer and fairer for all of us.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Of course, some of the new rules have been met with powerful opposition. The Greens\/EFA have been fighting to protect our fundamental rights online. We want the EU to set a global  standard for regulating digital content.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The journey is far from over. We\u2019ve managed to convince the European Parliament to adopt some powerful new rules into its version of the Digital Services Act. But, we still need to persuade European governments to take the changes on board during the upcoming negotiations with the Council of the European Union<\/a> on the final law.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Read on to find out what we\u2019ve managed include in the new Digital Services Act so far, and what it could mean for your daily life online.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Clear rules on surveillance advertising<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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