Digital Services Act: A 60-Minute Guide for Beginners

In this lecture, students will delve into the key actors regulated by the Digital Services Act (DSA) and understand their categorization within the digital ecosystem. By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Differentiate between "mere conduit," caching, hosting services, and online platforms, including very large online platforms, and understand their unique roles and obligations under the DSA.

• Analyze real-world examples, such as the McFadden case, to comprehend the practical implications of the DSA’s provisions for intermediary liability.

• Understand how the DSA builds upon the E-Commerce Directive by introducing new classifications and obligations for intermediaries.

• Recognize the DSA’s criteria for defining very large online platforms and their additional systemic risk obligations.

This comprehensive exploration of regulated actors equips students with a nuanced understanding of the DSA’s framework, preparing them to evaluate its application to businesses, service providers, and compliance scenarios.

In this lecture, students will gain a clear understanding of what constitutes illegal content under the Digital Services Act (DSA). By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Define illegal content as per the DSA and understand its broad scope, including violations of Union law and local laws of EU Member States.

• Identify examples of illegal content, such as hate speech, non-consensual image sharing, copyright violations, and consumer rights infringements.

• Analyze real-world cases, like Ms. Glawischnig‑Piesczek’s case, to illustrate how illegal content is addressed under the DSA framework.

• Recognize the challenges of applying the DSA to transnational businesses and its implications for online platforms, including those based outside the EU.

This lecture sets the foundation for discussing the DSA articles related to illegal content and equips students to critically evaluate its practical enforcement and compliance requirements.

In this lecture, students will explore the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in terms of the entities and territories it regulates. By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Define the term "recipient of the service" under the DSA and understand its broad implications for individuals, companies, and organizations.

• Analyze how the DSA applies to entities outside the European Union, including the requirement to appoint legal representatives within the EU.

• Compare the DSA’s mechanisms for cross-border compliance to those of the GDPR, highlighting similarities and differences.

• Understand the potential liabilities of EU-based representatives acting on behalf of non-EU intermediary service providers.

This lecture provides students with a practical framework for understanding the territorial scope of the DSA and its impact on global businesses offering intermediary services to EU-based recipients.

In this lecture, students will learn a step-by-step approach for building a compliance plan to meet the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA). By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Classify an intermediary’s role under the DSA (e.g., "mere conduit," caching, hosting, or online platform) to determine applicable obligations.

• Establish the necessary regulatory contacts, including a single point of contact and a legal representative in the EU, if required.

• Identify and address types of illegal content that may be encountered, creating templates and strategies for content moderation and compliance.

• Organize a dedicated compliance team and define workflows for managing situations covered by the DSA, such as handling removal requests or moderating content.

• Implement a tailored compliance plan based on the intermediary’s unique operations, ensuring professional training and adherence to the DSA’s obligations.

This lecture offers practical guidance for intermediaries looking to navigate DSA compliance effectively, preparing them for real-world implementation and minimizing legal risks.

In this lecture, students will explore how the Digital Services Act (DSA) will be enforced across the European Union. By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Understand the role of the Digital Services Coordinator in each Member State and its function in harmonizing DSA enforcement.

• Identify the key powers granted to enforcement authorities, including requesting information, conducting inspections, accepting commitments, ordering the cessation of violations, and imposing fines or penalties.

• Recognize the importance of Member States defining specific rules, procedures, and frameworks to support the effective implementation of the DSA.

• Analyze how enforcement mechanisms, including penalties, might evolve over time, using the experience of GDPR implementation as a reference point.

This lecture equips students with insights into the enforcement landscape of the DSA, providing a foundation for understanding its practical implications for intermediaries and authorities.

In this lecture, students will learn about the penalties and remedies outlined in the Digital Services Act (DSA) for non-compliance. By the end of this lecture, students will be able to:

• Understand the maximum fine thresholds under the DSA, including the 6% cap on annual worldwide turnover for significant violations and 1% for issues like providing misleading information or refusing inspection.

• Analyze the concept of periodic penalty payments and their role in compelling compliance, including the calculation of daily fines based on average daily worldwide turnover.

• Explore how fines, sanctions, and damages interact, using practical examples to understand their cumulative impact on non-compliant intermediaries.

• Recognize the DSA’s provision allowing users to sue intermediaries for damages resulting from non-compliance.

This lecture provides a comprehensive overview of the financial and legal risks intermediaries face under the DSA, offering students the tools to evaluate and mitigate these risks effectively.