The European Commission has recently launched a public consultation on the draft guidelines aimed at clarifying the trusted flagger mechanism established under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The consultation is open from 29 May to 26 June 2026 and seeks to collect opinions, recommendations and best practices from stakeholders with relevant experience in the field.
Through these guidelines, the European Commission aims to ensure the clear and consistent application of the legal framework and to support all interested parties: online platforms, Digital Services Coordinators, stakeholders and entities already designated as trusted flaggers.
The draft guidelines under public consultation addresses key issues, such as the eligibility criteria for obtaining trusted flagger status, focusing on independence from online platforms, impartiality, and demonstrated expertise, mechanisms to protect the integrity of this status, including procedures for suspension or revocation in cases of misuse, as well as technical and operational requirements related to the processing of notices concerning illegal content and the preparation of annual transparency reports.
Under the trusted flagger mechanism, entities that are independent of online platforms, with proven expertise in identifying certain types of illegal online content, can be designated to support online platforms in detecting such content quickly and effectively. Under the trusted flagger mechanism, entities that are required to prioritise notifications from trusted notifiers in their specific areas of competence.
Public consultation process
The European Commission invites online platform providers, civil society organisations, researchers and other relevant stakeholders to submit their contributions here by 26 June 2026. Contributions may include views, practical examples and evidence to support the improvement of the proposed framework.
The results of the consultation will be analysed, with the final version of the guidelines to be adopted in the second half of 2026. The non-confidential submissions, together with a summary report, will be published by the Commission at a later date.
Granting trusted flagger status in Romania
In its capacity as Romania’s Digital Services Coordinator, ANCOM grants trusted flagger status upon request, in accordance with the procedure established by Decision no. 336/2024 on the granting of trusted flagger status. This status may be granted to entities that cumulatively meet a number of requirements, such as independence from online platform providers, having specialized knowledge and expertise in detecting, identifying and reporting illegal content, and the ability to send notices diligently, accurately, and objectively.
So far, ANCOM has granted the status of trusted flagger to four entities (Save the Children Romania, the National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania “Elie Wiesel”, the eLiberare Association and the Jesuit Refugee Service in Romania Association (JRS Romania)).
The list of entities that have been granted trusted flagger status in Romania, links to their activity reports, and the link to the European Commission’s database of trusted flaggers across the European Union are available on ANCOM’s website.