A new EU report has warned that design features on major online platforms can contribute to risks for children and young people, including exposure to harmful content and “addiction-like behaviour”.
The second annual report on systemic risks under the Digital Services Act (DSA) was published by the Board for Digital Services and developed in cooperation with the European Commission, the Commission announced on Thursday.
It focuses on “very large online platforms” and “very large online search engines” — categories in EU law for the biggest services, known as VLOPs and VLOSEs — and sets out the main systemic risks identified and the steps platforms report taking to reduce them.
Risks listed include the spread of illegal content and the impact of “design-related choices” that can contribute to or worsen online harms affecting minors.
Examples cited include interface features and recommender systems — tools that suggest what users should watch, read or click next — which the report said can foster addiction-like behaviour on social media, expose users to harmful material such as dangerous viral challenges or adult content, and facilitate harmful behaviour including cyberbullying and grooming.
The report also describes risk mitigation measures used by major platforms and search engines, ranging from targeted protections for minors to “user empowerment tools.”
What the Digital Services Act covers
The Digital Services Act is an EU rulebook that sets obligations for online services, including requirements for large platforms and search engines to assess and address systemic risks linked to how their services operate.
The European Commission said it will continue monitoring how the DSA is being implemented, adding that the report is intended to support civil society, regulators and platforms working on online safety in the EU.
