The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act are often discussed together, but they address different problems. The DSA sets responsibilities for intermediary and platform services, while the DMA imposes obligations on designated gatekeepers in core platform services.
What matters most
Not every website or software company has the same DSA role.
Obligations depend on the type, size and function of the intermediary service.
The DMA applies to designated gatekeepers rather than to every growing platform.
Service design, notice processes, transparency and record keeping may be affected.
Sector, consumer and data-protection rules can apply alongside these acts.
A legal classification should be based on the actual service, not a broad label such as marketplace.
Questions to answer before acting
Use these questions to turn a broad topic into a defined decision, test or work package:
- What intermediary service is actually provided?
- Does the organisation host, transmit, cache or platform third-party content?
- Is a designated gatekeeper relationship involved?
- Which national authority or EU guidance is relevant?
A practical sequence
- Step 1. Map the service and parties.
- Step 2. Identify the likely DSA category and exemptions.
- Step 3. Separate DSA questions from DMA gatekeeper questions.
- Step 4. Design operational processes and records.
- Step 5. Verify current obligations with authoritative guidance.
Common traps
- Treating DSA and DMA as one law
- Assuming all platforms are gatekeepers
- Classifying from the homepage description alone
Where this fits in the wider system
This topic belongs to the site’s Digital rules for innovators pillar. The strongest route normally connects several pillars: a research result may need a testbed, a consortium, an appropriate programme, standards work and a scale-up plan.
Use the planning tools to identify the next uncertainty, then verify the route through the official-source directory.