The EU names the main targets of its new tech rulebook

This is a big week in the European Union and for tech transparency and accountability. The EU has officially named the first online platforms and search engines that will be subject to the strictest rules under its new rulebook, the Digital Services Act.

These rules will impact the largest tech companies in the EU, and have ripple effects worldwide. So far, the rules will apply to Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Google Play, Amazon Marketplace and 14 others.

It’s taken many years to reach this milestone — and Mozilla has played a central role. Our leaders and projects created a strong demand for legislation that would require a more fair and transparent user experience and make rules for a healthier online environment. Once it was proposed in 2020, we influenced the DSA’s policy’s design to ensure it was robust and effective. We identified the DSA back then as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to build a better internet, including issuing a letter by Mozilla’s CEO Mitchell Baker to the European Commission President.

Like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this could be the beginning of a new era online. It aims to give all users safe, transparent, privacy-protecting, and fair experiences online.

But a lot hangs in the balance, including how the DSA will be enforced. GDPR may have brought us better privacy rights, but companies were quick to find workarounds through their 'accept cookies' pop-ups. As recent history has shown us, regulation moves slower than innovation. Enforcing those regulations, especially when it comes to reining in some of the world’s largest companies, is not an easy task.

What’s Next

We’ve been here since the beginning and the work is far from done. Mozilla is following this rollout closely to assure it works as designed. We will be:

• Monitoring the implementation process at the EU level and in key member states like France and Germany.
• Mobilising people to take advantage of new rights under the regulation, like the right to a recommender system not based on profiling.  
• Studying the platforms' behavior to make sure they are following through on their obligations.

Holding the tech industry accountable is not new for us, we (along with supporters like you) have been calling out the harms of YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, the political influence on TikTok, and providing ideas for improvement and trustworthy alternatives.

We’ll share more updates as the rollout progresses.