Due to EU ultimatum: tech giants announce user figures
Google, Meta and Twitter are categorised by the European Union (EU) as "very large online platforms". Due to the Digital Service Act (DSA), they will therefore be subject to stricter regulation in the EU in future.
With Twitter in particular, it was interesting to see how many users there are, as the company has not yet disclosed this figure. A company is considered "large" if it regularly reaches more than 45 million people with its services. That is around ten per cent of the population living in the EU. With a figure of over 100 million, Twitter is clearly above this threshold.
DSA to regulate powerful companies more closely
For companies that are large by definition, the DSA stipulates, for example, that illegal content on their websites must be removed quickly. Failure to do so could result in severe penalties. It also stipulates that companies must submit an annual risk assessment for harmful content - in this case disinformation and election manipulation - and propose countermeasures. The DSA also stipulates that certain data must be shared with the authorities and research institutions.
For you as a user of a service, for example, it should be possible in future to understand why content was deleted by you. And if you do not agree with this, it must be transparent how you can defend yourself against it. Conversely, you should be able to report illegal content quickly and easily wherever you are.
(This article was updated on 28 February 2023; information on additional platforms was added.)
Cover photo: Martin Jungfer
Journalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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