Latest news with #EUDigitalServicesAct
Extra.ie
21-07-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Video-sharing sites must enforce age verification or face huge fines
Robust age verification checks must be strictly enforced from today on video-sharing platforms based in Ireland. Video-sharing platforms headquartered in the EU are required to implement age verification measures to protect children from accessing harmful content, including pornography and violent material. These platforms must use age assurance techniques and provide parental controls. Failure to comply can result in significant penalties. Tech companies can now be fined up to € 20 million, or 10% of their turnover, whichever is greater, for failing to comply with the requirements under the new code. Robust age verification checks must be strictly enforced from today on video-sharing platforms based in Ireland. Pic: Getty Images The Online Safety Code, implemented by media regulator Coimisiún na Meán, mandates these measures. It applies to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which have their European headquarters in Ireland. The new code also requires platforms to have systems for users to report harmful content, and for the platform to act on those reports. The age verification requirements are part of a broader effort to create a safer online environment for children and address harmful content such as cyberbullying and promotion of self-harm and eating disorders. Robust age verification checks must be strictly enforced from today on video-sharing platforms based in Ireland. Pic:These measures align with the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation. Coimisiún na Meán says that a person simply ticking a box to say they are over 18 will no longer be sufficient. Philip Arneill, head of education and innovation at CyberSafeKids, told RTÉ radio: 'What we are told is that this is the end of self-regulation by online service providers, social media platforms and the like. 'Some of the key things [from the code] is that it prohibits the uploading and sharing of restricted video content, which may be harmful to particularly younger people, such as [content about] eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. 'It's also required on the platforms to have robust parental controls that allow [parents] to restrict kids' access and, in addition, there will be clear and accessible ways to report violations.' Mr Arneill added that more than 84% of trends and usage research shows that younger users aged eight to 12 have one or more social media platforms, 'so it is up to these platforms [TikTok, Instagram etc] to figure this out and make sure they have age verification in place. 'Meta, for example, took a gross profit last year of $134billion (€115m) and we are often told it is difficult,' he said. 'Kids aged ten or 11 are smart enough to use older ages when gaining access. 'It's stretching the bounds of credibility to firstly suggest that these companies don't have the ability, talent and the resources to figure this out [new age limit rules] and for putting responsibility for that on other people, whether it's parents, educators, charities and whoever else. 'Responsibility has now shifted to them [companies]. Finally, their hands are being forced. After 12 to 24 months, we would want this reviewed to see if this is working.' Snapchat, which is used by many younger users, is not based here so will not be bound by the new regulations.
Euronews
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Denmark seeks stronger platform rules to protect minors online
Denmark wants stricter enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) as part of a range of proposed measures to better protect children online as it started chairing meetings of EU ministers this month. Caroline Stage Olsen, the country's digital minister, told the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee on Tuesday that Denmark has put several child protection measures on top of the agenda during the country's chairmanship. 'I will use the presidency to put this on top of the agenda and set a clear, political ambition that can shape EU policy in the years to come,' Stage Olsen said. 'We will try to facilitate discussions to have a stronger legal framework to protect children online, for example related to the upcoming Digital Fairness Act,' she said, adding that this framework can help make age verification tools mandatory. Denmark will also push for EU countries to adopt a joint declaration on the protection of minors online during the informal telecom ministers meeting in October. 'The aim is to provide political guidance on this important theme,' Stage Olsen said. Another workshop held in Brussels by the end of the year will follow up on the political guidance and is aimed to contribute to the work the European Commission has done on online safety for minors. On Monday, the Commission presented further guidance to online platforms on how to protect minors, addressing issues such as addictive design, cyber bullying and harmful content. The guidelines under the DSA, EU-wide legislation that aims to combat illegal content and products, come after the EU executive opened a number of investigations into potential breaches of the DSA in areas related to child protection. Last year, it began investigating Meta's Facebook and Instagram because it suspects that their algorithms may stimulate behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called "rabbit-hole effects".
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Your face, your rights': Denmark's tough new Deepfake law could change how AI imitations are handled across Europe
On June 26, the Danish Ministry of Culture announced a proposal to amend the country's copyright law in a move aimed at addressing the growing challenges posed by AI-generated deepfakes. If passed, the amendment would give all Danish citizens the legal right to their own voice, face, and physical likeness, marking what is believed to be the first initiative of its kind in Europe. The legislation has two core objectives. First, it introduces a broad protection for the general public against realistic digital reproductions of personal characteristics without consent. Second, it provides specific protection for performing artists, shielding them from unauthorised imitations of their creative work or performances generated through artificial intelligence. Deepfakes seen as a threat to Democracy and creators The Ministry emphasized the urgency of the issue, warning that it may soon be difficult to distinguish between real and AI-generated content. This, officials say, could become a 'real democratic problem,' particularly given how quickly deepfake content can spread online. Performing artists, the ministry noted, may be particularly vulnerable. With AI tools now capable of replicating voices, faces, and performances with minimal effort, artists risk losing control of their work. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt stated: 'You have the right to your own body, your own voice, and your own facial features.' He added that the proposed change is a timely response to technology advancing faster than legislation, and praised the broad political support it has received in the Danish parliament. The proposal is backed by the Social Democrats, Venstre (Liberal Party), the Moderates, and several other parties across the political spectrum. Compliance, enforcement and alignment with EU laws Under the proposal, individuals who are targeted by deepfakes may be able to seek compensation through Denmark's existing civil compensation laws. However, the law does not propose criminal penalties for individuals sharing such content. Technology companies, on the other hand, face stricter consequences. If they fail to act after receiving notification of illicit content under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), they may be fined by the DSA Supervisory Authority or the European Commission. Engel-Schmidt commented that platforms should take this 'very seriously,' noting the potential for 'severe fines.' The Ministry confirmed that the proposal will be submitted to the EU Commission before being formally introduced in Denmark. The law will also be aligned with European and international standards, including the European Convention on Human Rights. This means it will not restrict the use of satire or artistic expression. The government expects to submit the proposal before Denmark's summer recess. The amendment is likely to be passed by the end of the year or early next year. Denmark's deepfake legislation signals a proactive step toward protecting identity, while maintaining alignment with EU rights and regulations.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
X Adds Verification Explainers to Avoid EU Fines
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. X has added a new overview of what checkmarks in the app now actually represent, as EU investigators continue to examine the app's change in approach on verification, and whether it violates the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). Last year, then EU Commissioner Thierry Breton publicly criticized X's change to its verification system, saying that X's 'X Premium' subscription package is deceptive, and infringes DSA regulations. More specifically, the EU Commission found that in enabling users to buy blue ticks, that's potentially created a new vector for the promotion of misinformation, because the appearance of a checkmark adds legitimacy to an account, as established by Twitter's previous verification system. As per the EU Commission: 'Since anyone can subscribe to obtain such a 'verified' status, it negatively affects users' ability to make free and informed decisions about the authenticity of the accounts and the content they interact with. There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.' And there is at least some evidence of exactly that, with various brands being impersonated, complete with blue ticks on their accounts, on X. In response to these initial findings, however, X owner Elon Musk was defiant, noting that X was looking 'forward to a very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth.' Because everything's, apparently, part of a deeper conspiracy, but it seems that X is now changing its tune, in the hopes of avoiding potentially costly penalties as a result of the EU investigation. As reported by Bloomberg, X has now added this new explainer in the app, which provides a more detailed overview of what checkmarks now actually represent: ** As you can see, X is trying to reduce potential confusion, as well as accusations that it's misleading users, by providing more context on its updated checkmark system. It's also got explainers within its Help platform that outline its full verification requirements, though some of them are also slightly contradictory. For example, here, X explains that: 'Accounts that receive the blue checkmark as part of a Premium subscription will not undergo review to confirm that they meet the active, notable and authentic criteria that was used in the previous process.' I know what X is trying to say here, that the updated system is different from the Twitter verification approach of old. But the note that Premium subscribers will not undergo a check seems to run counter to this element within the X's listed Premium requirements: 'Your account must be active in the past 30 days to subscribe to X Premium.' So they do have to be active, but X won't check for such? Of course, miscommunication is all part of the X experience, with half of its Help articles still referencing 'Twitter,' 'tweets,' and 'retweets' in varying capacity. As such, contradictory messaging is pretty much par for the course, and X still doesn't have an official communications department either, so there's not a lot of uniformity checking. But this is all an aside, what X is trying to do in this instance is provide a more thorough explanation of what the verification checkmark actually means in 2025, versus what it used to mean on Twitter-past. Will that get the EU investigators off its back? I mean, probably not. Elon himself has been highly critical of the EU Commission, which likely hasn't endeared him to them in any way, while any analysis will also be assessing both historic and current violations within that review. And if it finds that X's updated checkmark approach is against the rules, it'll still issue a fine, whether it's changed things now or not. This new explainer is likely also still not upfront enough. The Commission will no doubt argue that the average user would not have been made aware of this change before it was enacted, which has led to confusion in the app. In which case, X will have to fix things moving forward, but that'll likely include a notification sent out to all users to outline the full changes to the process. I mean, that's what Meta does when it falls foul of the EU rules, and it seems to generally be enough. Though Meta has also been fined a billion dollars in Europe over the past year, so… (Side note: Meta's also selling blue ticks, so it's probably under the same scrutiny.) Essentially, I doubt this new explainer is going to have much impact, but X also has to do something if it wants to appease the EU digital police. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Herald Scotland
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
US to ban foreign officials over 'flagrant censorship' on social media
Rubio said in a statement that a new visa restriction policy would apply to foreign nationals responsible for censorship of protected expression in the U.S. He said it was unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on U.S. soil. More: Why President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning government 'censorship' "It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States," Rubio said. Some foreign officials have taken "flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so," Rubio said. U.S. social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parent Meta have said an EU content moderation law, the Digital Services Act, amounts to censorship of their platforms. The Trump-appointed chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in March warned the EU Digital Services Act excessively restricts freedom of expression. More: A 2028 Rubio rivalry? Nothing to see here, says JD Vance EU officials have defended the law, which is meant to make the online environment safer and fairer by compelling tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material. The dispute comes as the EU seeks a trade deal with Washington to avoid President Donald Trump's threatened 50% tariffs on European imports. Rubio's announcement came just before he met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Washington. Europe: 'A hotbed of digital censorship' Trump officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they see as suppression of right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views like criticism of immigration in the name of countering disinformation. In April, Rubio shut down a State Department office that had sought to counter foreign disinformation, accusing it of censorship and wasting U.S. taxpayer money. In a social media post on Wednesday, Rubio added, "Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over." Rubio did not name specific countries or individuals that would be targeted. Brazil has clashed with the platform X, owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, over compliance with orders to take down accounts accused of spreading misinformation. The Brazilian government is waiting to fully understand who could be targeted by the ban and what its scope would be, a government source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The Trump administration has repeatedly called out European nations for supposed censorship of online content. Vice President JD Vance denounced content moderation while in Paris in February, calling it "authoritarian censorship." Rubio has said threats to free speech are an attack on shared values that are important to U.S.-European relationship and said the issue was being raised in diplomacy with both the EU and Britain. Officials from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor are separately visiting EU members France and Ireland this week to press those governments on freedom of expression, a State Department official told Reuters, requesting anonymity. An op-ed by Samuel Samson, senior advisor for that bureau, accused Britain and Germany of censoring online speech and said the EU Digital Services Act was "used to silence dissident voices through Orwellian content moderation." He also cited Britain's jailing of two anti-abortion activists. "Far from strengthening democratic principles, Europe has devolved into a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on religious freedom, and numerous other assaults on democratic self-governance," Samson wrote.
