In recent years, EU and national regulators have put forward different initiatives specifically targeting online platforms. Most of these initiatives try to ensure that platforms are:
- more active in fighting illegal content; and
- more transparent and fair towards consumers and businesses offering products and services.
Cullen International's European Digital Economy service covers national initiatives of this kind in nine EU countries.
This is the second of three benchmarks we are releasing on national developments affecting platforms in Europe. Over three weeks, we will share with you one benchmark per week.
Challenge 2: Illegal content
Parallel to EU initiatives, some EU countries have recently taken specific measures to make sure that online platforms are more active in fighting against the illegal content that they store.
Our research shows, for instance, that:
- of the nine countries surveyed, only Germany, Italy and Sweden have recently adopted binding legislation obliging social media and other platforms to remove harmful content expeditiously; and
- most of the initiatives in the countries surveyed target social media platforms.
more news
16 September 25
Italy is the only country where hybrid mail falls within the postal universal service
Cullen International's new benchmark shows the availability and regulation of hybrid mail services in 21 European countries. Hybrid mail combines physical and digital delivery, either by printing digital mail for postal dispatch or by scanning physical letters and delivering them digitally.
11 September 25
EU initiatives to foster satellite connectivity
Our new Tracker covers the Commission’s flagship initiatives in relation to satellite infrastructure, satellite spectrum and new converged services like direct-to-device (D2D). It also covers the EU’s preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), where satellite is on the agenda.
11 September 25
[INFOGRAPHIC] Top 10 European antitrust fines on Big Tech
The European Commission’s €2.95bn fine against Google is the latest in a string of hefty antitrust penalties that competition authorities in Europe have imposed on US Big Tech firms. Cullen International’s infographic provides an overview of these fines, putting them in context and showing how they are calculated.