The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM), as Romania’s Digital Services Coordinator, is continuing its 2026 national information and education campaign on the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Following events held in Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest, the campaign has now reached Iași.
Over the course of two days, representatives of ANCOM, the European Commission and Save the Children Romania discussed with more than 600 pupils, students, teachers and researchers how the DSA helps protect users online and facilitates researchers’ access to data held by very large online platforms.
The discussions focused primarily on measures to protect minors online, mechanisms for reporting illegal content and researchers’ access to data held by very large online platforms.
The Digital Services Act: protecting minors online
On 20 October 2026, ANCOM organised a meeting in the “Mihai Eminescu” Great Hall of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, with the support of the Iași County School Inspectorate. The meeting, intended for pupils in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, focused on children’s safety in the digital environment.
The discussions between ANCOM representatives, pupils and teachers sought to familiarise participants with the main online risks, such as cyberbullying, disinformation and exposure to illegal or harmful content, and to inform them about the means available for reporting problematic content to online platforms. The discussions also addressed the responsibilities of online platforms and the importance of adopting responsible behaviour when using the internet.
During the meeting, the representative of Save the Children Romania, a trusted flagger designated under the DSA, presented the Ora de Net platform – oradenet.ro -, which provides children, parents and teachers with useful resources for developing digital skills, using the internet safely and responsibly and preventing online risks, while promoting the involvement of adults in protecting children in the digital environment.
The European Commission representative highlighted the Commission’s central role in supervising very large online platforms and very large online search engines, in accordance with the provisions of the Digital Services Act.
The Digital Services Act: researchers’ access to data
On 21 October 2026, a meeting intended for the academic community was held in the Senate Hall of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași. Undergraduate and master’s students, doctoral candidates, teaching staff and researchers were invited to attend.
The discussions addressed eligible researchers’ access to data held by very large online platforms and very large online search engines, collectively referred to as VLOPSEs, under the conditions laid down in the Digital Services Act. This mechanism facilitates the study of systemic risks associated with digital services and contributes to a better understanding of the impact of online platforms on society.
Online Safety Barometer in Romania
Launched in Timișoara during the first event of the 2026 national campaign, the Online Safety Barometer in Romania is a tool for assessing users’ awareness of their online rights, the extent to which they use mechanisms for reporting illegal content, and their perceptions regarding the safety of minors online.
During the events held in Iași, ANCOM continued to promote this tool.
The questionnaire may be completed anonymously by anyone interested and is available here.
Information and education campaign on the implementation of the DSA
Through this campaign, ANCOM aims to increase the level of awareness on the rights of users and the obligations of intermediary service providers, promote responsible behaviour online, and encourage the use of mechanisms for reporting illegal content to online platforms or to the authorities responsible for the area concerned by that content. At the same time, the activities intended for the academic community seek to inform researchers about the possibilities available for accessing data held by very large online platforms in order to study risks in the digital environment.
The events in Iasi were organized with the support of the Iași County School Inspectorate and the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași.