European Union: Adopted Commission Recommendation on Coordinating responses to incidents in particular arising from the dissemination of illegal content

On 18 October 2023, the European Commission announced the approval of a Council Recommendation addressed to EU Member States encouraging them to collaborate in addressing the spread of illegal content, such as terrorist content and hate speech, on online platforms. The Recommendation puts forward suggestions intended to encourage a coordinated response by Member States prior to the deadline of 17 February 2024 set by the Digital Services Act (DSA) to designate Digital Services Coordinators for monitoring and enforcement purposes under the DSA. The recommendation suggests that Member States take measures such as coordinating actions through an informal network, take part in meetings, including incident response meetings, convened by the Commission, assist the Commission in monitoring and enforcing the DSA’s provisions. The recommendation will be in effect until 17 February 2024, after which the full enforcement framework of the DSA will enter into force.