Article 18 ‘Media privilege’
Article 18 of EMFA provides benefits for recognised media by requiring Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) – platforms or search engines that have more than 45 million users per month in the EU – to give special protections to recognised media service providers.
This functionality is designed to help ensure that quality journalism receives appropriate treatment in content moderation decisions, reducing the risk of legitimate news content being incorrectly removed or restricted. VLOPs must implement specific safeguards when dealing with media content, including verification processes and enhanced due diligence before taking action against media service providers.
Under this article, media service providers must declare that they are subject to regulatory requirements for editorial responsibility in one or more Member States and to oversight by a competent national regulatory authority, or that they adhere to widely recognised co-regulatory or self-regulatory mechanisms governing editorial standards.
Where there is reasonable doubt concerning a media service provider’s compliance with these requirements, the very large online platform must seek confirmation from the relevant national regulatory authority or co-regulatory/self-regulatory mechanism. This creates a verification system that interfaces with the Digital Services Act and establishes Coimisiún na Meán as a key contact point for confirming the regulatory status of Irish media service providers.
Contact
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