The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a brand new European legislation that has been in force since Feb. 17, 2024. With this law, the European Union is taking an important step to make digital services more secure, transparent and accountable. That's very nice for consumers, but quite a big deal for businesses. After all, the DSA requires adjustments in your digital strategies and possibly additional investments in compliance and management systems. A "thingy," in other words. In this blog, Sebastiaan de Ruiter explains exactly what the DSA entails and how a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system helps you comply with the law.

What is the Digital Services Act?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a European legislation aimed at making digital services safer, more transparent and accountable. It imposes clear requirements on online platforms and services, including cracking down on illegal content, and fake news, making online advertising more transparent and protecting users' fundamental rights. It also requires companies to establish clear procedures for complaints and content moderation, and increases the accountability of digital services for the content they share or host. In short, the Digital Services Act is an important milestone in the way we regulate online interactions. It lays a solid foundation for a more transparent and equitable digital landscape.

Timeline of the DSA

Before I zoom in further on the implications, it might be good to outline the timeline. As of August 25, 2023, the 19 largest platforms - with an average of more than 45 million monthly active users - were required to comply with the strict requirements of the DSA. These major platforms include parties like Apple, Google, and Meta (you know, the club behind Facebook and Instagram), as well as X (the platform we used to know as Twitter), AliExpress, Booking.com and Snapchat.

Since Feb. 17, 2024, the DSA has been in full force, including smaller digital service providers. This means that online marketplaces, smaller social networks, search engines, cloud services, Internet service providers and content-sharing platforms, such as video platforms and online travel and accommodation platforms, are also covered by this law. For example, they must be clearer about who the companies (merchants) on their platform are and better inform users about removing content or accounts.

How does DAM help you comply with the DSA?

Well, now that you know this, the question remains: what does this all mean concretely for your company and how can a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system play a role in complying with this new legislation?

A DAM system provides a central repository where all your digital assets are not only kept secure, but also organized using a smart metadata structure and advanced search functionality. This means you can quickly find, edit and publish the right content with the knowledge that everything is in line with DSA requirements.

With streamlined workflows for approving and publishing content, a DAM improves collaboration across teams and simplifies regulatory compliance by providing clear logs and documentation of asset usage and publication. This is essential to meet the transparency and information requirements of the DSA.

Implementing a DAM system can therefore not only help you manage your digital assets efficiently, but also ensure that your organization is ready for the requirements of the DSA. This means that you can demonstrate at any time how, where and why content has been used or published, contributing to a more transparent, secure and accountable digital ecosystem.

Are you ready for the Digital Services Act?

With this increasing focus on digital security, transparency and accountability, a DAM system is more than "just" a smart asset management platform; it is a strategic investment in the future of your organization. Want to discover how this technology can transform your business and prepare it for tomorrow's digital challenges? Then request a no-obligation demo right away. We'd love to think with you. Now and in the future.