The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania (ANCOM) has organised a workshop regarding the implementation of the Digital Services Act for video-game developers in our country. The Authority’s experts outlined both the DSA obligations imposed on online platforms and hosting services providers, as well as the role of the Digital Services Coordinator in Romania.
The event organised by ANCOM was attended by both representatives of RGDA (The Association of Video Game Developers in Romania) which brings together over 60 video game development companies in Romania, as well as industry representatives at the European and national levels. Their presence indicates the high level of interest and the importance attached to the implementation of the Digital Services Act in our country.
Implementation of the DSA by the video-game developers from Romania
Depending on the type of interaction each video game allows (for example, whether it enables communication among multiple players, or allows for customization and/or the addition of user-generated content that is made available to other players), video-game developers may be considered online platforms, as defined in the DSA. To assist the categories of providers whose activities fall within the scope of the DSA, ANCOM has made an online questionnaire available to interested parties, which companies providing services for the information society can use to self-assess the application of the DSA Regulation to the services they provide. This is a first step toward clearly defining their obligations under European law.
The workshop also addressed issues related to the obligations of online platforms regarding the protection of minors, a key policy objective at the European Union level. An online platform may be considered accessible to minors when its terms of service allow minors to use the service, when the service is directed at minors or is predominantly used by them, or when the provider is otherwise aware that some of its service recipients are minors, for example, because it already processes, for other purposes, personal data of the recipients of its service, from which their age is apparent.
The role of ANCOM as Digital Services Coordinator
The Authority’s role is to supervise intermediary service providers established in Romania and to ensure compliance with the Digital Services Act. If intermediary service providers established in Romania fail to comply with the provisions of the Digital Services Act, sanctions may be imposed, including substantial fines.