Compliance Briefing — EU designates first DSA very large platforms
On 25 April 2023 the European Commission named 17 very large online platforms and 2 very large search engines under the Digital Services Act, starting a four-month countdown for heightened risk management, algorithmic transparency, and audit duties.
The European Commission issued its first Digital Services Act (DSA) designations on 25 April 2023, classifying platforms with over 45 million EU users as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs). Companies including Amazon Store, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, AliExpress, and the App Store now face accelerated deadlines to implement systemic risk assessments, mitigations, and independent audits.
The designations trigger obligations around recommender system transparency, researcher data access, crisis protocols, and advertising repositories. Compliance teams must validate whether their services meet the user-threshold criteria, review forthcoming Commission audit guidance, and prepare to document risk mitigation for disinformation, illegal content, and fundamental rights impacts.
- European Commission press release lists all initial VLOP/VLOSE services designated on 25 April 2023 and outlines related duties.
- Commission DSA policy page summarizes risk management, transparency reporting, and researcher access requirements linked to the designations.
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