Germany: Introduced law (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz) implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2065

On 15 January 2024, the law (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz) implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) was introduced into the German parliament (Bundestag). The DSA establishes a horizontal legal framework for digital intermediary services, standardises rules for consumer protection, and creates a robust supervisory structure. The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) is designated as the Digital Services Coordinator in Germany. Its responsibility is to monitor compliance with DSA rules by providers of intermediary services. The law also includes new rules for the relationship between digital intermediary services and users. These rules include reporting and redress procedures for illegal content, measures against illegal activities, and misuse of reporting procedures. Furthermore, this legislation stipulates fines for any breaches of the DSA, which can reach up to 6% of a platform operator's yearly revenue. Providers are obligated to take measures against illegal content, and users will be able to report any non-compliance with these obligations to the Federal Network Agency.