The background of the Digital Services Act : looking towards a platform economy Articles uri icon

publication date

  • April 2021

start page

  • 75

end page

  • 86

issue

  • 1

volume

  • 22

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1612-3093

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1863-9038

abstract

  • The E-Commerce Directive laid the foundation of the EU legal framework for digital services. Since its adoption in 2000, the legal framework has remained largely unchanged, while the digital economy has undergone a profound transformation. The digital economy is today becoming a platform economy. Rules and legal solutions underpinning the Directive effectively accommodate the structural, operational, and behavioural features of a preliminary stage to the platform economy. Thus, the cornerstone of the EU digital services legal framework now requires a thorough revision. Despite its merits, noticeable limitations on facing new challenges surface. The aim of this Paper is to highlight those legal issues that call for attention in the Digital Services Act package.

subjects

  • Law

keywords

  • platform economy; safe harbour; digital intermediaries; digital services; notice-and-take-down mechanism