23 März 2023
Political Advertising and Disinformation
Over a year ago, the European Commission presented its Proposal for a Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising (COM(2021) 731 final). Recently, the Council presented its General Approach, followed by the position of the European Parliament (EP). While stakeholders are waiting for the trilogue negotiations to shape the final text of the legislation, critical voices are raising concerns. Concerns are that under the future regulation online platforms might have to de-amplify such independent content Continue reading >>
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13 März 2023
Politische Werbung und Desinformation
Zum Verordnungs-Entwurf der Europäischen Kommission über die Transparenz und das Targeting politischer Werbung (COM(2021) 731 final) liegt inzwischen die Gemeinsame Ausrichtung des Rats der Europäischen Union als auch die gemeinsame Position des Europäischen Parlaments vor. Nun beginnen die abschließenden Trilog-Verhandlungen. Dem VO-Entwurf geht es um die Eindämmung von Gefahren durch politische Online-Desinformationskampagnen. Aufhorchen lassen Stimmen aus der Zivilgesellschaft, die eine zu weitgehende Erfassung auch privater oder unabhängiger politischer Meinungskundgabe fürchten. Continue reading >>
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16 März 2022
A Self-Regulatory Race to the Bottom through Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement in the Digital Services Act
Art. 18 of the draft Digital Services Act [Art. 21 in the final text] will introduce new dispute settlement processes. This addresses a legitimate policy concern, namely the need to enable effective recourse mechanisms for platform decisions. However, the concept fails when trying to combine the best of two worlds: solving disputes through real courts as well as through self-regulation. Art. 18 [Art. 21 in the final text] DSA raises serious concerns and should be substantially modified. Continue reading >>
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27 Juli 2021
YouTube vs. das NetzDG
Nachdem es hierzu in den vergangenen Tagen schon Gerüchte gab, hat das Verwaltungsgericht Köln heute bestätigt, dass Google Ireland Limited, welche YouTube betreibt, in der Hauptsache negative Feststellungsklage gegen die Bundesrepublik Deutschland vor dem VG Köln erhoben und parallel Eilrechtsschutz beantragt hat. Google möchte klären, dass der neue § 3a NetzDG (sog. BKA-Meldepflicht) sowie der neue § 4a Abs. 3 NetzDG (Auskunftspflicht des Anbieters im Aufsichtsverfahren) unwirksam sind, beziehungsweise hieraus keine Pflichten für YouTube folgen. Wenn YouTube hier Erfolg hat, könnte das wohl das ganze NetzDG zu Fall bringen. Continue reading >>
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24 Juni 2021
The Digital Services Act wants you to “sue” Facebook over content decisions in private de facto courts
According to Art. 18 of the Commission’s draft for a Digital Services Act [Art. 21 of the final text], Member States shall certify out-of-court dispute settlement bodies which might - at the request of online platform users - review platform decisions. While well-intentioned, this introduction of quasi-courts is incompatible with European Law. Continue reading >>
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27 April 2021
Ireland cannot do it alone
Due diligence obligations for online platforms are probably the most relevant aspect of the European Commission’s proposal for a Digital Services Act (DSA). However, the DSA's proposed oversight structure is based on the country of origin approach, which has proven difficult in the past. An alternative oversight model which would allow for all Member States, especially the ones who are willing and capable to spend resources to contribute to the oversight over very large platforms, is preferable. Continue reading >>
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