Key point: The Commission clarifies requirements for the recognition and oversight of trusted flaggers, who can report illegal online content to platforms on a prioritized basis.
The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on draft guidelines for trusted flaggers under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The consultation runs from 29 May to 26 June 2026 and aims to establish concrete requirements for implementing the flagging mechanism.
Under the Digital Services Act, organizations with proven expertise in identifying specific types of illegal online content can be designated as trusted flaggers. Such organizations have the right to report illegal content to platforms in their area of expertise, and platforms must handle these reports with priority.
The Commission has developed guidelines for this mechanism and is now opening them for consultation. The draft guidelines are intended to provide clarity for platform providers, potential applicants, digital service coordinators in Member States, and the designated flaggers themselves. Respondents are invited to submit their views, best practices, and practical examples, particularly platform providers, NGOs, researchers, and existing trusted flaggers.
The guidelines address three core areas: First, eligibility criteria for flaggers – only impartial organizations that are free from political or other influence and have proven subject-matter expertise can be recognized. Second, safeguards against abuse of the status, including procedures for withdrawal of recognition. Third, the technical and practical steps that flaggers and platforms should follow when preparing annual transparency reports and processing reports.
Following the consultation, the Commission plans to adopt the guidelines in the second half of 2026. Non-confidential responses and a summary report will be published.
Source: digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu · Published 29 May 2026
Lumi AI News — AI-assisted curation in accordance with Art. 50 EU AI Act. Paraphrase and classification by Lumi News Pipeline v1.2.1.