On 4th October 2023, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry (The Malta Chamber), in partnership with the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), hosted an information session titled “Preparing for the Digital Services Act: What Businesses Need to Know”. The event took place at The Malta Chamber in Valletta and was aimed at informing local businesses about the upcoming European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA, designed to update the EU’s digital services legal framework, updates the liability exemptions and accountability measures for digital intermediaries. It aims to offer enhanced legal certainty and improved tools for a fairer digital landscape, benefiting both consumers and businesses. The session focused on various aspects, including liability and legal obligations under the DSA, preparation and compliance requirements, impact on businesses of different sizes, new rights for business users, and regulatory oversight. The DSA is set to become fully operational in February 2024, following the Platform to Business (P2B) Regulation which came into force in 2020.
The collaboration between The Malta Chamber and MCA underscores their commitment to advancing digital services and promoting regulatory compliance among local businesses. This partnership will facilitate knowledge sharing and raise awareness about digital services developments and related regulations, especially concerning eCommerce, website/app accessibility, trust services, and the DSA.
The DSA is a landmark regulation in the EU, aiming to strengthen the digital landscape in Europe by countering unsafe and counterfeit products, removing illegal online content, and offering more protection for online users. It includes measures for different online intermediary services such as internet access providers, cloud computing services, and online platforms. The DSA is also designed to empower users and civil society, with provisions for user compensation in case of rights infringement, greater access to data for researchers and NGOs, and increased transparency for online platforms.
