Obligations for hosting service providers

The obligations for hosting service providers are laid down in Articles 16 to 18 of the Digital Services Act.

Hosting service providers must establish mechanisms allowing any individual or entity to notify them that their service includes specific information that the individual or entity considers to be illegal content, and to provide notifiers with timely feedback on the receipt of notices and decisions taken. The mechanisms must be easily accessible, visible and allow for exclusively electronic notification.

Hosting service providers must provide all affected service users with clear explanations if they have restricted the visibility of specific information, the provision of services, the user account or payment because the information is illegal content or does not adhere to the provider's terms and conditions.

Where a hosting service provider becomes aware of any information that a criminal offence has been committed involving a threat to the life or safety of one or more persons, or that such a criminal offence is being committed or is likely to be committed, it must inform the competent law enforcement or judicial authorities thereof.

Hosting service providers, including online platforms, must also comply with all other general obligations laid down for providers of intermediary services.