Verizon Media urges Ireland to push back on EU’s new digital rules

Verizon Media is urging Ireland to step back from proposed EU rule changes in the formulation of new digital rules. The company said Ireland should seek a specific approach to digital service regulation that does not integrate different issues.

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is a new rule that updates the regulations of tech companies and digital services. The DSA will address issues such as advertising, illegal content policing and unfair competition.

The company stated that the new laws mix competition and economic policy with social issues in digital services. They are asking government to seek a separation between these issues so as not to pursue excessively complex options at the beginning of the process. The company added that the new regulations would have an impact on domestic and foreign investors’ activities in Ireland.

Verizon Media is a company that mostly serves advertising, the brands of which include Yahoo and HuffPost. They have a branch in Ireland’s capital city.

Verizon claims that plans for new regulation of online harms and other issues should not be used as a proxy for competitive resolution, as they could potentially over-regulate organisations and further disadvantage.

According to the company: “Ireland has a mature and evolving digital economy and a successful outcome to the DSA process is crucial to the future prosperity of domestic businesses and overseas investors alike. We encourage Government to seize the opportunity to actively inform the process and play a leadership role, drawing on the experience of its digital industry.”

Meanwhile, some other companies have called for a clear separation of provisions in the Digital Services Act. For example, EDiMA, a Brussels-based lobby group of tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, recently called for a distinction.