Tackling Illegal Content Online – Towards an enhanced responsibility of online platforms (Communication)

Key points

The EESC:

• emphasises the importance of establishing a suitable and balanced regulatory framework for platforms in the digital single market that could help to establish a climate of trust, both for businesses and for consumers;
• considers it necessary to maintain consistency with the recommendations of its previous opinions;
• stresses the importance of technology neutrality and of coherence between rules that apply online and offline in equivalent situations, to the extent necessary and possible;
• is of the view that appropriate measures should be taken by the Commission against the growing presence of violent and/or discriminatory messages on platforms;
• recommends that particular attention be paid to the effectiveness of actions taken in relation to online platforms based outside the EU;
• states that  the Communication should include a reference to the potential impact of illegal content on the Single Market;
• strongly welcomes this Communication which, in general, provides a sound approach to tackling the presence of illegal content on online platforms.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.