Three years after the EU Digital Services Regulation entered into force, people in Spain still have their rights less protected than millions of other European citizens. That is why Fundación Maldita.es has promoted an open letter calling on parliamentary groups to approve the powers and resources needed by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) to implement the DSA in Spain.
The regulation, better known by its English name, the Digital Services Act (DSA), is an innovative and essential piece of legislation to ensure that the largest digital platforms and search engines operate under clear rules, with obligations to identify and reduce the risks their services can pose to minors, public health, elections, or the spread of disinformation. It also opens up unprecedented opportunities for researchers to study what happens on these platforms.
Digital Services Coordinators in each EU member state play a key role in enforcing this regulation, as they are the independent authorities responsible for much of its implementation. However, although the law was approved in Europe with overwhelming support, including from Spanish Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission has had to take Spain before the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to comply by not granting the CNMC the powers needed to roll it out in Spain.