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These are the first ever guidelines under Article 35 of the DSA and aim to present Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines with best practices and possible measures to mitigate systemic risks on their platforms that may threaten the integrity of democratic electoral processes.
The draft guidelines provide examples of potential mitigation measures relating to election-related risks, specific mitigation measures linked to Generative AI content, the planning of risk mitigation measures before or after an electoral event and specific guidance for the European Parliament elections.
Under Article 35 of the DSA the Commission, together with the Digital Services Coordinators of the Member States, may issue guidelines in relation to specific risks, to present best practices and recommend possible mitigation measures. The exploratory consultation is open for feedback until 7 March 2024.
The draft guidelines build on an election integrity readiness dialogue, carried out by the Commission with several of the first 19 designated platforms for which the DSA provisions apply since end-August 2023. They also take into account, to the extent relevant for DSA compliance, of other relevant legislative and non-legislative initiatives such as the Regulation on transparency of political advertising, the AI Act, the strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation and the Commission's recommendation to promote free, fair and resilient elections.