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Digital Services Act

EU law regulating online platforms' handling of illegal content, disinformation, and user safety, with penalties up to 6% of global turnover for violations.

Known aliases

  • Article 38
  • DSA

Current stories

buildOne report1 publisher

Commission names infinite scroll and autoplay in preliminary DSA findings against Meta

European Commission findings of July 10, 2026 say Facebook and Instagram may breach the DSA through infinite scroll, autoplay and personalised recommendations. That adds interface features to ranking logic as a legal question for the largest platforms.

Publishers:dev.to

Reality

Evidence45
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+10
Incentives55
Confidence50
investConfirmed5 publishers

Brussels moves ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox into the DSA's strictest tier

The designation converts a growth number into a standing operating cost. Whether that cost or the fine ceiling is the bigger figure depends entirely on how much revenue a company actually has.

Perspective Coverage

5 publishers
Builder
Builder 22%
Operator
Operator 44%
Investor
Investor 34%

Reality

Evidence70
Adoption72
Hype gap+15
Incentives50
Confidence65
buildOne report1 publisher

European Commission's KIDS Act proposal pushes age checks and safe defaults into product design

European Commission's KIDS Act proposal expects services minors can reach to build in age-banded access and safe defaults, with comments due 26 November 2026. Nothing is binding yet. The design it points to ties each default to an age check that keeps no ID documents.

Publishers:dev.to

Reality

Evidence35
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+10
Incentives65
Confidence40
securityConfirmed19 publishers

OpenAI ties ChatGPT ads to purchase tracking through LiveRamp, Tealium and Hightouch

OpenAI, whose ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion people a week, is connecting its ads to conversion data from Hightouch, Tealium and LiveRamp. For privacy teams, staff use of the consumer app now sits inside an advertising system built to tie ad views to purchases.

Perspective Coverage

20 publishers
Builder
Builder 19%
Operator
Operator 48%
Investor
Investor 33%

Reality

Evidence60
Adoption40
Hype gap+20
Incentives70
Confidence65
buildOne report1 publisher

ChatGPT's EU search-engine designation moves audit evidence to the retrieval layer

ChatGPT is now a Very Large Online Search Engine under the EU's DSA, designated by the European Commission on Aug 31 with 159.1 million monthly EU users. Qtim CEO Anton Fokin argues that anyone shipping a web-search feature needs logs that can rebuild each answer from its sources.

Publishers:dev.to

Reality

Evidence45
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+20
Incentives65
Confidence40
productOne report1 publisher

The EU's draft Kids Act makes adults prove their age to switch off child-safe defaults

EU Commission's draft Kids Act bars social media accounts for under-13s and locks the unrestricted version of covered apps behind an age check. Techdirt argues platforms will play it safe and check everyone, so adults carry the privacy cost too.

Publishers:techdirt.com

Reality

Evidence45
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+30
Incentives65
Confidence40
productConfirmed4 publishers

US Justice Department asks EU court to let it argue X's side against the first DSA fine

US Justice Department lawyers have asked to join X's court challenge to its 120 million euro EU fine, the first penalty under the Digital Services Act. Before any argument on the merits, a Luxembourg court has to decide whether Washington may join the case at all.

Perspective Coverage

4 publishers
Builder
Builder 13%
Operator
Operator 51%
Investor
Investor 36%

Reality

Evidence78
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+15
Incentives65
Confidence72
productConfirmed6 publishers

TikTok's $400mn settlement prices the second offence at about 70 times the first

Musical.ly paid $5.7mn in 2019 over the same statute. The DOJ's complaint treats registration-flow design as the violation, which makes age-gating a documented enforcement target.

Perspective Coverage

6 publishers
Builder
Builder 23%
Operator
Operator 47%
Investor
Investor 30%

Reality

Evidence76
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+15
Incentives55
Confidence70
productConfirmed9 publishers

Brussels decided a chatbot's generated answers count as search results

ChatGPT is the first AI assistant pulled into the Digital Services Act. It was filed as a search engine, which puts annual risk assessments, independent audits and researcher data access on OpenAI Ireland by the end of November.

Perspective Coverage

9 publishers
Builder
Builder 20%
Operator
Operator 57%
Investor
Investor 23%

Reality

Evidence72
Adoption80
Hype gap+20
Incentives35
Confidence68
productConfirmed3 publishers

Australia's draft bill would make platforms keep asking if you want the algorithm off

Canberra's exposure draft takes a right Europe already granted and adds the part Europe left out: making platforms keep offering it. That obligation is also the rare online-safety rule a researcher can check in an afternoon.

Perspective Coverage

3 publishers
Builder
Builder 29%
Operator
Operator 48%
Investor
Investor 23%

Reality

Evidence60
Adoption8
Hype gap+25
Incentives55
Confidence55
buildOne report1 publisher

US Justice Department backs X's bid to annul the EU's 120 million euro DSA fine

America's Justice Department has applied to back X's bid to annul a 120 million euro fine the European Commission imposed under the Digital Services Act. The first DSA penalty, over X's blue checkmarks, now has a government arguing each side before the EU General Court.

Reality

Evidence58
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap
Not scored
Incentives62
Confidence55
productConfirmed4 publishers

California requires a separate unranked feed for every user under 16

Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 child safety bills on 10 September, and the feed rules bar serving under-16s content ranked on their own history and profile. Europe's DSA requires only that a non-profiling option exist.

Perspective Coverage

4 publishers
Builder
Builder 33%
Operator
Operator 42%
Investor
Investor 25%

Reality

Evidence62
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+15
Incentives58
Confidence60
productConfirmed3 publishers

Mosseri answers Australia's A$109.2m feed proposal with an argument about reach

Australia's My Feed, My Way proposal would make every platform offer a following-only feed or face fines of up to A$109.2 million. Instagram already has one, and its chief used an Australian press briefing to argue that most users do not want it.

Perspective Coverage

3 publishers
Builder
Builder 25%
Operator
Operator 53%
Investor
Investor 22%

Reality

Evidence50
Adoption25
Hype gap+30
Incentives75
Confidence55
investConfirmed5 publishers

EU's under-15 chatbot rule would rely on age-verification wallet built for 18+, adaptable to 13+

The EU Kids Act would bar under-15s from social media and AI chat services, while the age-verification wallet the Commission finished in April certifies 18 and can be adapted to 13. Member states are meant to be tooled by the end of 2026.

Perspective Coverage

5 publishers
Builder
Builder 28%
Operator
Operator 48%
Investor
Investor 24%

Reality

Evidence60
Adoption20
Hype gap+15
Incentives55
Confidence58
productConfirmed8 publishers

Two accounts of the EU Kids Act draft disagree about what under-13s may access

Von der Leyen announced a ban on social media for under-13s and one-hour parent-run accounts for 13- to 15-year-olds. WIRED and a draft seen by the Financial Times describe the youngest tier differently, and the text is years from force.

Perspective Coverage

8 publishers
Builder
Builder 29%
Operator
Operator 47%
Investor
Investor 24%

Reality

Evidence70
Adoption8
Hype gap+30
Incentives55
Confidence65
securityOne report1 publisher

The EU KIDS Act proposal ties every 13- to 15-year-old account to a parent's login

The Commission adopted the proposal on September 18. Under-13s would be kept off social media, and 13- to 15-year-olds would only get parent-linked accounts carrying a 60-minute daily cap that platforms have to enforce.

Reality

Evidence38
Adoption10
Hype gap+30
Incentives68
Confidence48

Earlier coverage

  1. The EU Kids Act would make every in-scope platform store a parent-to-child account link

    Security · September 17, 2026 · Confirmed4 publishers

  2. Brussels regulated the half of ChatGPT that looks things up

    Product · September 4, 2026 · One report1 publisher

  3. Age assurance without a spec: France cuts verification, New Zealand promises 10 percent

    Product · August 24, 2026 · Confirmed2 publishers

  4. Senators want every TikTok test that disabled a safety feature, not just the one that hit 15 million

    Product · August 20, 2026 · Confirmed3 publishers