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ARTICLE · 20 FEBRUARY 2023

EU Digital Services Act – Who, What And When

Arthur Cox
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The Digital Services Act ("DSA") applies to a wide variety of online services, ranging from websites to social networks and online platforms, with a view to "creating a safer...

IrelandMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Olivia Mullooly
Olivia Mullooly
Ciara Anderson
Ciara Anderson
Rachel Benson
Rachel Benson
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The Digital Services Act ("DSA") applies to a wide variety of online services, ranging from websites to social networks and online platforms, with a view to "creating a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected". In the second of our series of briefings on the DSA, we look at the categories of online intermediary services within scope of the DSA and the obligations that will apply to them.

Who is regulated by the DSA?

The DSA regulates providers of information society services, specifically those providers of intermediary services that: (i) act as 'mere conduit', (ii) provide caching services; and (iii) provide hosting services. The term 'information society service' is broadly defined in the eCommerce Directive (2000/31/EC) and encompasses services provided online at the individual request of a user. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on hosting services including online platforms. The

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This article contains a general summary of developments and is not a complete or definitive statement of the law. Specific legal advice should be obtained where appropriate.

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