Overview

• Bundesnetzagentur certified three new Trusted Flaggers on June 2, raising Germany’s total to four since the DSA took effect in February 2024.
• HateAid will target hate speech and digital violence, Bundesverband Onlinehandel will monitor intellectual-property infringements and unfair competition, and Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband will flag consumer-rights breaches and product-safety issues.
• The DSA requires major platforms to prioritize reports from Trusted Flaggers, though they retain authority to remove content based on national law.
• Platforms face EU fines if they systematically ignore or delay action on Trusted Flagger reports.
• Opponents warn the expanded program could lead to censorship, while advocates argue it bolsters safeguards against illegal content and unsafe products.