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Early Saturday, the European Union finalised new rules requiring Big Tech to remove damaging information, marking the bloc's latest effort to reign in the world's internet behemoths.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to impose stiffer consequences for platforms and websites that carry a large list of illegal items, ranging from hate speech to disinformation and photos of child sexual abuse. It is the second part of a vast initiative to regulate internet businesses.

At early Saturday meetings in Brussels, EU officials and legislators finally struck an agreement on the legislation, which has been in the works since 2020.

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, tweeted, "Yes, we have a deal!"

"With the DSA, the era of large web platforms acting as though they are "too big to care" is over. Breton, who has previously referred to the internet as the "Wild West," called it "a huge milestone for EU people." "..

"Today's DSA agreement is historic," tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"Our new guidelines will protect individuals online while also allowing for freedom of expression and business opportunities. In the EU, what is criminal offline will be essentially unlawful online."

The rule is a companion to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was passed in late March and targeted anti-competitive activities among tech behemoths like Google and Facebook.

The bill was subjected to pressure from tech corporations and heated discussion about the scope of freedom of speech.

Tech companies have been frequently chastised for failing to control their platforms; a terrorist assault in New Zealand that was live-streamed on Facebook in 2019 sparked international outcry, and the anarchic insurgency in the United States last year was supported online.

E-commerce sites stocked with counterfeit or defective products are also part of the dark side of the internet.

Large Platforms Have Obligations

Platforms will be required to remove illegal content as soon as they become aware of it, according to the regulation. Users who break the legislation on a regular basis will have their accounts suspended by social media platforms.

Before proposing their items, e-commerce sites will be required by the DSA to check the identification of suppliers.

While many of the DSA's requirements apply to all businesses, "very big platforms," defined as those with more than 45 million active users in the European Union, are subject to additional requirements.

The full list of firms has yet to be revealed, but it is expected to include tech heavyweights such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft, as well as Twitter and maybe TikTok, Zalando, and Booking.com.

These companies will be required to analyse the dangers of using their services and remove any illegal content.

They will also be obliged to make their data and algorithms more visible.

Annual audits will be overseen by the European Commission, which will be able to levy fines of up to 6% of annual sales if violations are repeated.

The use of data on religion or political opinions for tailored advertising is one of the activities expected to be restricted.

Last year, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen caused a stir when she accused her former superiors of putting profits ahead of user welfare.

She praised the European regulation project's "enormous potential" in November, saying it might serve as a "reference" for other countries, including the United States.

The European Consumer Organization (BEUC), on the other hand, believes the wording does not go far enough.

It seeks a prohibition on all advertising based on internet user surveillance, as well as random product inspections from online retailers.