Mr. Mark Dugdale:

While it will not be dealt with directly, under the DSA very large online platforms - obviously these are the service providers with the greatest reach - must carry out risk assessments of the risks their services pose to society and individuals.

Risk assessments have to be followed up with risk mitigation processes and those need to be audited. Disinformation can, or should, be dealt with through that process, although it is not directly involved. The auditors will not necessarily have the power to force the intermediary service providers to include that, but if they are able to show that those risks are present, it would be up to the DSC, in supporting the Commission under the new arrangement, to begin infringement proceedings on that basis.

The Digital Services Act also provides that issues can be dealt with by codes of conduct. At European level, there is already a code of conduct on disinformation. I do not have a huge amount of detail on what that is, but it is dealt with in that respect. When I say it is not dealt with directly, it is dealt with indirectly through these other means, which the Act sets out in this sort of systemic or general framework approach it has. I hope that helps.