🇪🇺 EU Digital Services Act (DSA) Compliance
The new standard for digital safety in Europe. Learn how the DSA affects ad transparency and platform moderation across all 27 member states.
Platform-Specific European Union Rules
| Platform | Local Requirement / Restriction |
|---|---|
 | Must provide detailed ad transparency including the identity of the entity that paid for the ad. |
 | Strict prohibitions on profiling users based on sensitive data categories like sexual orientation. |
 | Under 'Very Large Online Platform' scrutiny regarding systemic risks and disinformation. |
 | Mandatory algorithmic transparency and data access for EU-based researchers. |
 | Advanced protection for minors including a total ban on profiling-based ads for children. |
 | Standard GDPR and DSA transparency reporting requirements apply. |
Essential Legal Mandates
The Digital Services Act (DSA)
Comprehensive regulation for online intermediaries requiring ad transparency repositories.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Prohibits targeting ads based on sensitive personal data without explicit, granular consent.
Strategy Adaptation for European Union
Meta Standards
"Must use the EU Ad Transparency tool. Meta now provides detailed reasons for ad removals."
TikTok Standards
"DSA mandates that TikTok provide a 'Chronological Feed' option for EU users."
How the DSA Reshapes Social Media Advertising in Europe
The DSA imposes platform-level obligations that directly affect how advertisers operate across the EU. On Meta, the ad transparency requirements align closely with Meta's own ad policies, but the DSA adds a legal enforcement layer — non-compliance can result in fines up to 6% of global turnover. TikTok faces similar scrutiny, and advertisers should understand how TikTok's community guidelines intersect with DSA obligations around minor protection and profiling.
For advertisers running Google Ads in the EU, algorithmic transparency requirements mean additional disclosure steps — review the Google Ads policy guide for platform-specific implementation details. Industries such as financial services and gambling and betting face particularly strict targeting restrictions under the GDPR-DSA framework.
EU member states like Germany and the Netherlands enforce additional national laws on top of the DSA. Use the legal compliance scan to verify your campaigns meet both EU-wide and country-specific requirements before launch.
Related Resources
Germany Health Claims
Understand Germany's strict HWG and NetzDG advertising regulations within the EU framework.
Netherlands Disclosure
Dutch ACM enforcement standards and influencer disclosure requirements under EU law.
Financial Services
Compliance guide for financial product advertising under GDPR and DSA targeting restrictions.
Platform Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of advertising rules across major social media platforms.