Background talk with Martin Husovec: The DSA on disinformation – on point or missing the mark?

One of the most contentious issues that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) addresses is online content moderation, which ties into larger discussions on how to deal with disinformation online. While the DSA itself does not contain any prohibitions on specific types of content, some of its rules deal with the way online platforms explain their moderation practices or tackle illegal content as well as disinformation.

Content moderation is a sensitive field and there are justified calls for checks and balances. For instance, politicians and platforms hold power to define what disinformation is and to shape moderation practices around these definitions. Besides nuanced questions about definitions and content moderation practices, there are also rather blunt, at times sensationalist, allegations about the DSA in general being a tool for censorship.

On June 3 between 4 and 5pm CET, Martin Husovec will join Julian Jaursch, Project Director “Policy | Platform regulation”, online to separate key questions on the DSA’s approach to tackling disinformation from mere political grandstanding. He is an Associate Professor of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and has advised various governmental and non-governmental organizations on the DSA. We will discuss how the DSA deals with disinformation in practice, how regulators can address enforcement issues and what suitable checks and balances could look like.

Guests are welcome to participate in the discussion with their own questions.