All posts tagged: digital services act

WhatsApp Faces EU Tech Rules After Reaching Very Large Platform Status

WhatsApp Faces EU Tech Rules After Reaching Very Large Platform Status

WhatsApp has hit a user criterion set out in landmark EU tech rules, the unit owned by Meta Platforms said, meaning it is required to do more to tackle online illegal and harmful content. Messaging platform WhatsApp in a February 14 filing said it had about 46.8 million average monthly active users in the 27-country European Union in the six month period to December 2024, above the 45-million-user threshold set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA). “We can indeed confirm that WhatsApp has published user numbers above the threshold for designation as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in an email on Wednesday. After receiving the designation, a platform has four months to comply with the DSA requirements including identifying and assessing system risks related to illegal content, fundamental rights, public security and protection of minors. Fines for DSA violations can reach as much as 6 percent of a company’s global annual revenue. Meta’s Instagram and Facebook are already classified as very large online …

Apple Removes Thousands of Apps Due to Digital Services Act Requirements

Apple Removes Thousands of Apps Due to Digital Services Act Requirements

Apple has removed thousands of apps from its European Union App Store for failing to comply with the Digital Services Act, which requires developers to provide a verified address, email, and phone number. This move is part of Apple’s broader efforts to adhere to new regulations aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in digital marketplaces. Developers who have not submitted the required information will see their apps delisted until they provide and verify their trader status. Why Apple is removing apps from the EU App Store The Digital Services Act, a landmark European legislation, mandates all traders distributing apps in the EU display their contact details — ensuring consumers can identify and reach businesses more easily. Apple introduced a “trader status” requirement for developers who disclose their contact details. This information is published on the App Store product page whenever an app is available in an EU member state. Since October 16, 2024, Apple has required trader status for developers submitting new apps or updates for the App Store in the EU. It also started …

European Commission Criticised for Weakly Regulating Big Tech

European Commission Criticised for Weakly Regulating Big Tech

European politicians and advocacy groups are adamant that the region’s legislation is not hardline enough to dismantle the monopolies of Big Tech companies. In the last week, two open letters have been penned to regulators criticising how Apple and Google remain unchecked. On Jan. 16, four digital rights groups responded to the measures proposed by the European Commission for Apple to ensure interoperability with iOS and iPadOS operating systems. They allege that Apple’s current process for handling interoperability requests is convoluted, discouraging developers from submitting them. “Gatekeeper” organisations — the most prominent tech firms operating in Europe, including Apple and Google’s parent company Alphabet — must provide third parties with the tools they need to make their software and hardware products work seamlessly with their own, as per the Digital Markets Act. SEE: EU Approves NVIDIA Deal With Run:ai, Pushes for Apple Interoperability The next day, Club de Madrid, a network of former European heads of state, voiced its support of the Commission “end(ing) Google’s monopoly over digital advertising technologies” through forced divestiture. “Google’s unchecked …

Apple Requires EU Developers to List Contact Details on App Store to Comply With Digital Services Act

Apple Requires EU Developers to List Contact Details on App Store to Comply With Digital Services Act

Apple now requires developers in the European Union (EU) to provide the company with their contact information, in order to comply with regulations that affect app stores. App makers will have to disclose a phone number and a public address on the App Store, which will appear under individual app listings. Apple has also set a deadline for developers or companies to comply with the new requirements, after which their apps will be delisted from the App Store. In a post shared on the Apple Developer website on Thursday, the company announced that EU Developer Account Holders or Admins in the Apple Developer Program will need to enter their trader status via App Store Connect. The submission of trader information is mandatory, and developers will not be able to submit an app (or app update) until the process is completed. An example of a trader’s details displayed on the App StorePhoto Credit: Apple   Apple requires developers to submit trader information in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act. Under articles 30 and 31 …