Implementation of the Digital Services Act: first results

Last year, Lithuania started the active application of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT), which became Digital Services Coordinator, took over the main functions related to this role and successfully started their implementation. Currently, three organisations in Lithuania have already been granted the status of trusted flagger.

One of the most important results of the year was the removal of more than 2,000 pages of illegal information during 2024 thanks to the DSA mechanisms. In Lithuania, copyright was the main source of infringements.

The Act, which entered into force just over a year ago, covers a wide range of intermediary services, from internet access, cloud, hosting, messaging, app stores to social networks and e-commerce. This Regulation obliges internet service providers to take active action against illegal content, to update the terms of service and to provide them in a clear, unambiguous form accessible to all users, including minors. It also ensures transparency and protection of users' rights.

"SPAs bring real benefits to every internet user, from increased security and clearer rules for the provision of services to more effective protection against harmful and illegal content. Consumers become more visible, their rights more protected and service providers more responsible. This is a step towards a more mature and secure digital society, where transparency, clarity and responsibility become the norm, not the exception", emphasizes Jūratė Šovienė, Chairwoman of the RRT Council.

According to J. Šovienė, even after the new regulation enters into force, the digital space will not be safe without public involvement and responsible behaviour.

"Achieving a safer and more trustworthy digital environment requires not only regulation, but also consumers' own awareness and ability to recognise risks. Digital literacy – the ability to critically assess information, recognise threats and use technology safely – is becoming an important condition for digital well-being," says Šovienė.

For this reason, RRT, in cooperation with its partners, attaches great importance to the digital education of society. One of the key projects in this area is ‘No one is forgotten’, which aims to strengthen digital skills and help those who still face challenges in the digital world. Residents who have encountered e-fraud cases, harmful content, especially against children, or other digital security incidents are encouraged to report it via the hotline www.svarusinternetas. lt is administered by the Communications Regulatory Authority.

According to RRT inf.