In 2019, the European Commission launched the process for the adoption of a comprehensive regulatory package, the so-called Digital Services Act package (DSA). Two new Regulation proposals were published on 15 December 2020 and aim at modernising the current legal framework for digital services. At a key point in the discussions on this new legislative framework, we organised a series of webinars dealing with specific topics, where the areas of interplay between the DSA package and existing regulatory instruments may appear more complex in order to help pave the way for a structured exchange among stakeholders, with the Observatory team acting as facilitator for the discussion.

An initial introductory conference giving a first look at the new EU rules on online services and their possible impact on the audiovisual industry took place on 11 February. 

Highlights of the event:

• an examination of the latest new European legislation, the proposed Digital Services Package, and its implications for the European film, TV and VOD industries;
• a discussion of the consequences of this new regulatory model for online content providers such as broadcasters, VOD services and social media platforms.

 Introductory conference

Introduction by Francisco Cabrera Blázquez
  The DSA Package: An Introduction       

 Event programme 

 Participants profiles       

Social Media providers have become a sort of judge, jury and executioner regarding important issues of freedom of expression online. The DSA gives users and consumers the possibility to contest the decisions taken by the online platforms to remove their content, including when these decisions are based on platforms' terms and conditions. It also proposes rules on transparency of content moderation decisions. How will these rules work in practice?

 Event programme

 Participants profiles 

 Webinar 18th March

                                                                               
Presentation by Francisco Cabrera Blázquez
  Introduction to social media content moderation under the new Digital Services Act Package

The DSA package is a so-called horizontal regulatory framework, that applies to any online intermediary service. Regarding the audiovisual sector, this means that video-sharing platforms will be subject to the new rules, but not broadcasting or VOD services. Being editorially responsible platforms, the latter are subject to the Audiovisual media services directive. Which regulatory tools apply to AVMS services with a potential gateway function on the market?

 Event programme

 Participants profiles

 Webinar 22nd April



A presentation by Prof. Oliver Budzinski, Ilmenau University of Technology
 Gatekeepers in the Audiovisual Sector: Regulatory and Competition-related Aspects

The DSA complements the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. How will the interplay between the due diligence obligations imposed on online platforms and the obligations foreseen in Art. 17 of the Copyright Directive work in practice? The focus of this session will include the trusted flagger regime, Know Your Business Customer, stay down obligations, more expeditious takedowns of the IP protected content and repeat infringers.

 Event programme                                            
  Participants profiles

  Webinar 27 May
 

The DSA focuses on fixing platforms' vulnerabilities against their manipulation in order to amplify harmful behaviours, such as the spread of political disinformation, hoaxes and manipulation during pandemics, harms to vulnerable groups. A supervised risk-based approach will oblige very large platforms to assess and mitigate the risks their systems pose, including for protecting fundamental rights, public interests, public health and security, and to subject their assessments and measures to independent audit. How will the interplay between the DSA package and the provisions contained in the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) and the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan (MAAP) work in practice?

 Event programme

 Participants profiles

 Webinar 1st July