| NOTAS: | This Issue Paper was presented and debated amongst academics, regulators, and industry actors during a CERRE webinar on 19 October 2021.
"When it comes to digital services, what exactly is the harm in largeness and is size systemically problematic? These are key questions raised in CERRE’s latest Issue Paper “What is the harm in size?”. The proposed Digital Service Act (DSA) would create a specific category of digital services called ‘Very Large Online Platforms’ (VLOPs). These are set apart as ones where the risk of harm from the dissemination of content is higher. They are defined on the basis of reach, determined by number of users. But what exactly is the harm in being large and are other considerations besides reach perhaps needed to gauge the level of risk? The Issue Paper examines the topic from the perspective of social and political theory. Its aim is to introduce a new perspective to discussions about the regulation of online content platforms and provide a nuanced understanding about the relationship between large size and the potential for systemic harm." |
