Zero tolerance: EU Commission targets Amazon, Spotify, Apple for violating content law

‘There are a few online platforms that have not respected’ Digital Services Act obligations, Thierry Breton says.

Amazon, Apple and Spotify are not respecting the EU’s content moderation law, the Digital Services Act | Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

BY CLOTHILDE GOUJARD
MARCH 17, 2023 

The European Commission will “go after” companies including Amazon, Apple and Spotify for not respecting the EU’s content moderation law, the Digital Services Act, the EU’s internal market chief Thierry Breton said Friday.

“I regret to say that there are a few online platforms that have not respected their obligations and have either failed to provide user numbers altogether or simply stated that they do not meet the designation thresholds,” Breton said at a Commission conference.

“We will not tolerate delaying tactics when it comes to enforcing the DSA; we will take action and go after the companies which have not complied,” he added.

Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Booking.com, eBay, OnlyFans, AliExpress and Pinterest are among the online platforms that haven't disclosed details about how many Europeans use their services under a February deadline set by the Digital Services Act.

The law, adopted in 2022, aims to get platforms to step up their content moderation, including cracking down on illegal material such as photos of child sexual abuse and videos promoting terrorism.

Breton confirmed that the European Commission, which will oversee platforms and search engines with more than 45 million users in the EU, would proceed with the formal designation of very large online platforms “in the coming weeks.” Nearly 20 companies such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and Google have already been declared to fall within this category.

Breton had already told Spotify CEO Daniel Ek of “the importance of complying with all requirements” under the DSA, including publishing the exact number of users in the EU, in a video call on March 16, according to a readout.

“The world is watching us — we have a huge responsibility to prove that our European rules work not only in theory but also in practice, bringing tangible results to our citizens,” said Breton.