This week, ARTICLE 19 joins members of the Digital Services Act (DSA) Human Rights Alliance in calling for the integration of global perspectives and respect for international human rights standards, recognising that DSA has impacts beyond the European Union. The Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the DSA set out concrete steps for the European Commission, national policymakers, and regulators to ensure that DSA implementation is grounded in international human rights standards through inclusive and meaningful stakeholder engagement. It also offers guidance for regulators and international actors beyond the EU, emphasising the essential role of civil society in providing expertise and acting as human rights watchdogs.
As the DSA moves from legislation to enforcement, it has become increasingly clear that its impact depends not only on the text of the Act but also on how it is interpreted and enforced in practice. This is why the DSA Human Rights Alliance has created a set of recommendations to include civil society organisations (CSOs) and rights-defending stakeholders in the enforcement process.
The Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the DSA: A Global Perspective, a report published this week by the Alliance, outlines steps the European Commission, as the main DSA enforcer, as well as national policymakers and regulators, should take to bring diverse groups to the table as a means of ensuring that the implementation of the DSA is grounded in human rights standards.
The Principles offer guidance for regulators outside the EU who look to the DSA as a reference framework and international bodies and global actors concerned with digital governance and the wider implications of the DSA. The Principles promote meaningful stakeholder engagement and emphasise the role of civil society organisations in providing expertise and acting as human rights watchdogs.
The Principles call for:
◼ Empowering EU and non-EU Civil Society and Users to Pursue DSA Enforcement Actions
◼ Considering Extraterritorial and Cross-Border Effects of DSA Enforcement
◼ Promoting Cross-Regional Collaboration Among CSOs on Global Regulatory Issues
◼ Establishing Institutionalised Dialogue Between EU and Non-EU Stakeholders
◼ Upholding the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in DSA Enforcement, Free from Political Influence
◼ Considering Global Experiences with Trusted Flaggers and Avoid Enforcement Abuse
◼ Recognising the International Relevance of DSA Data Access and Transparency Provisions for Human Rights Monitoring