Amazon Pushes Back On EU’s New Censorship Law

In an interesting movie, Amazon has voiced dissent against the European Union’s forthcoming regulations aimed at curbing online “disinformation.” The retail and tech colossus lodged a formal petition to the General Court in Luxembourg, contesting certain aspects of the rules, as per information initially divulged by the Financial Times. The laws in question are encapsulated within the EU’s new censorship law, titled the Digital Services Act (DSA), an alarming set of rules due to take effect on August 25th. This extensive legislation targets major tech entities with measures aimed at reigning in digital disinformation and hate speech. In its approach to ensuring online safety, the DSA classifies 19 entities as either “very large online platforms” or “very large online search engines” – a distinction bestowed upon firms boasting a user base of at least 45 million active monthly users. This designation endows these platforms with augmented responsibilities, including the duty to combat disinformation and online hate speech. Amazon’s petition, however, contests its categorization under the DSA as a “Very Large Online Platform” (VLOP). This objection hinges on the argument that Amazon’s primary identity is as an online retailer, a sphere distinct from that of social networks or search engines, and therefore, the DSA rules designed for these platforms should not apply. The retail behemoth also draws attention to the discrepancy between itself and other sizable retailers in the EU that haven’t been subjected to the same classification. In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said, “The DSA was designed to address…Amazon Pushes Back On EU’s New Censorship Law