On 20 January 2022, the European Parliament reached an agreement on its position on the proposed Digital Services Act (DSA), which introduces the requirement of a flagging mechanism to counter illegal content online. The proposed DSA's major goal is to protect consumers against illicit content or services while protecting their basic rights online. In this context, the legislation proposes that all online platforms that provide hosting services (with the exception of small and micro enterprises) must: - set up a notification mechanism for users to report unlawful content (platforms that have less than 45 million monthly users in the EU shall handle complaints within ten days from the reception); - provide a justification for removing or disabling access to specific content; - set up content dispute resolution methods that allow users to appeal rulings. Moreover, organizations with particular expertise can be nominated as "trusted flaggers" by the "Digital Services Coordinators" appointed by member states. The online platforms shall analyse with priority the complaints brought by such trusted flaggers.
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