Digital Services Act: Commission launches public consultation transparency database of content moderation decisions

Today, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Digital Services Act (DSA) Transparency Database.

Article 24(5) of the DSA establishes that the Commission must set up and maintain a database of statements from online platforms concerning reasons for removal of information and other content moderation decisions.

Once the database is created, platforms will be asked to submit their statements without undue delay after taking a decision, allowing for almost real-time updates. This content will be public and provide insights into the fight against illegal content online.

The public consultation aims to gather information on how to implement this obligation. This includes what information should be collected, and methods for submitting statements and accessing the database. The consultation is composed of a set of questions and software code, which implements a draft version of this database.

The Commission invites providers of online platforms, civil society organisations, researchers and others to submit feedback until 17 July.