Tag Archives: Lutz Riede

The Rise of Audits as a Regulatory Tool for Tech

by Janet Kim, Matthew Bruce, Lutz Riede, Tristan Lockwood, Fiona McHugh, Florentine Schulte-Rudzio, and Bhavya Sharma

Photos of the authors

Top left to right: Janet Kim, Matthew Bruce, Lutz Riede, and Tristan Lockwood. Bottom left to right: Fiona McHugh, Florentine Schulte-Rudzio, and Bhavya Sharma (photos courtesy of Freshfields LLP)

As technology evolves, so do challenges in effectively regulating it. In an era where there is increasing focus on effective oversight of digital platforms, legislators are turning to audits as a go-to tool. This blog explores the reasons behind the growing adoption of audits in digital regulation, focusing on key legislative frameworks such as the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), and also explores the scope of audits in AI and other digital regulation. It also includes some practical tips for businesses navigating these new audit regimes.

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Digital Services Act Decoded #1: DSA Enforcement – Key Points

by Laura Knoke, Lutz Riede, Tobias Timmann, Janet Kim, Tristan Lockwood, Luca Mischensky, and Juliana Heer

Top Left to Right: Laura Knoke, Lutz Riede, Tobias Timmann, and Janet H. Kim. Bottom Left to Right: Tristan Lockwood, Luca Mischensky, and Juliana Heer (photos courtesy of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP)

The Digital Services Act (DSA) empowers both the European Commission (Commission) and Member State Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) to take tough enforcement action against non-compliance. Since DSA obligations became fully applicable for most very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) in August 2023, compliance has been at the top of the Commission’s regulatory agenda. With enforcement action continuing to ramp up over the past year, and obligations for all other intermediary services coming into force in February 2024, it is vital for service providers subject to the DSA to be familiar with the DSA’s different enforcement mechanisms and areas of focus. The enforcement landscape is one that is further complicated by the ability of private parties, such as service users and consumer protection organisations, to bring private actions to facilitate DSA compliance.

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