CDT Europe’s Response to the Trusted Flaggers Guidelines Consultation
On 26 May, the European Commission launched a public consultation seeking input for its draft Trusted Flaggers’ guidelines under Article 22 of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The guidelines aim to provide clarity on the functioning of the trusted flagger mechanism for organisations seeking to become designated trusted flaggers and for the Digital Services Coordinators responsible for their designation and oversight.
The Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe (CDT Europe) welcomes the opportunity to respond to this public consultation and to reiterate the value of an effectively functioning trusted flagger mechanism in advancing the DSA’s enforcement. This is particularly pertinent given the challenges many existing trusted flagger organisations are facing in terms of political pressures, as well as the lack of headway made in operationalising some of the other key provisions of the DSA aimed to foster greater transparency and user control, such as the data access provisions.
In our submission, we take the opportunity to underline the importance of the trusted flagger provision and provide recommendations on where to better clarify the safeguards in place to protect awarded entities and prevent weaponisation of this provision. Our recommendations are articulated in four key points: (1) protection against government and law enforcement overreach; (2) clarification in cases of investigations and revocation status; (3) need to ensure a uniform application of the Trusted Flaggers mechanism across EU Member States; and (4) need for increased political and financial support to the Trusted Flaggers ecosystem.
Op-Ed: France’s Constitutional Council Ruling Tests the Limits of Social Media Bans
Read our analysis the legal and policy significance of the Constitutional Council’s decision on ongoing social media age restriction and age assurance debates ahead of the most-anticipated EU-wide approach on child online safety due by December 2026.
Silenced by Design: Gendered Disinformation and its Threat to Democracy
Our latest paper on gendered disinformation and the EU’s response to this growing democratic challenge is part of our TFGBV series. It explores how existing legislation can be leveraged to tackle gendered disinformation, where the current framework falls short, and what policymakers should do next.
“A Union of Equality” – An Analysis of the European Commission’s New Strategies in the Digital Age
CDT Europe analysed the new EU Equality strategies for 2026 to 2030 in light of their objectives to address gender-based cyber-violence as well as online hatred against racial and ethnically minoritised persons and the LGBTIQ+ community.
Response to the OHCHR’s Call for Inputs on Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the Digital Age
CDT and CDT Europe welcome the opportunity to provide input into OHCHR’s drafting process of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pursuant to HRC resolution 58/23 on “Human rights defenders and new and emerging technologies: protecting human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, in the digital age”.
