Bundesnetzagentur hosts Round Table with online platforms
Year of issue 2025
Date of issue 2025.01.24
The Bundesnetzagentur, as Digital Services Coordinator, today held a Round Table event in Berlin together with the European Commission. The discussion highlighted the responsibility of very large online platforms and search engines in the run-up to elections and their obligations under the Digital Services Act.
“We take the very large online platforms at their word that they are committed to implementing the requirements of the Digital Services Act and will do so. We are working closely with the European Commission and monitoring the developments ahead of the German federal elections very carefully, together with other national authorities. We will pass on to the Commission, as the responsible body, any breaches of the DSA, such as if illegal content is not removed or accounts are unfairly blocked,”
said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur and acting head of the DSC.
Representatives of Google (YouTube), LinkedIn, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Snapchat, TikTok and X as well as of national authorities and civil society organisations took part in the Round Table.
The aim of the dialogue was to discuss with all concerned any possible breaches of the DSA that could arise in relation to the federal elections in February 2025 and mitigation measures by the very large online platforms and search engines.
Similar round tables have already been held ahead of national elections in other EU Member States.
DSA protects the integrity of elections
The DSA sets new, uniform standards for a safe, predictable and trustworthy online environment. It contains rules for dealing with illegal content while also protecting freedom of expression and information online.
It additionally requires very large online platforms and search engines (VLOPs/VLOSEs) such as X, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok to analyse, assess and, where possible, mitigate systemic risks stemming from their services. These may include risks to minors, risks to fundamental rights from the dissemination of illegal content and risks to electoral processes. The European Commission holds the supervisory role for this issue.
The election guidelines published by the European Commission in 2024 contain recommendations for the mitigation of systemic risks that could affect the integrity of elections, such as the widespread dissemination of illegal content or the manipulation of information by foreign interference online.
Tasks of the DSC
The Bundesnetzagentur, as the DSC, is the central coordinating body for enforcement of the DSA in Germany. The DSC monitors service providers and online platforms for compliance with their obligations, acts as a central point for complaints by online users when the DSA has been violated and coordinates cooperation between competent authorities in Germany and the EU. The DSC certifies out-of-court dispute settlement bodies and trusted flaggers. Upon request the DSC can grant vetted researchers access to the data of very large online platforms and search engines.
The DSC is supported in its work by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media (BzKJ), the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia coordinating for the competent bodies for media monitoring, and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI). It also works closely with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Bundeskriminalamt.
Further information about the DSC is available (in German) at www.dsc.bund.de.