Digital Policy Lab: Policy Digest #2

Policy Digests offer an overview of the latest digital policy developments in Digital Policy Lab (DPL) member countries, including regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives aiming to combat online harms such as disinformation, hate speech, illegal, extremist or terrorist content. In addition to general updates, each Policy Digest provides a snapshot of topic-specific schemes relevant to the upcoming DPL session.

Section 2 focuses on the scope and definitions that form the basis for proposed risk assessment frameworks. Recent policy proposals adopt approaches that tackle ‘systemic risks’ rather than the mere removal of specific types of content. In December 2020, the European Commission moved ahead with the Digital Services Act to introduce a legal framework for risk assessments of very large online platforms. In 2021, the UK government presented its approach in the draft Online Safety Bill. Other DPL member countries, including Ireland and New Zealand, have also published proposals that include ‘risk-based’ mechanisms. The overview presents definitions, scope and methodologies of services and risks, ranging from regulatory to self-regulatory initiatives.