Brussels takes legal action — The European Commission is suing five member states, including Spain, for failing to enforce the Digital Services Act
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The European Commission has had enough. Five countries — Spain, Portugal, Poland, Cyprus, and Czechia — are being taken to court for not doing their homework when it comes to protecting people online.
At the centre of the issue? A key law called the Digital Services Act, or DSA, that was meant to bring order to the wild west of the internet.
What is the Digital Services Act and why is Spain facing EU legal action?
The Digital Services Act officially came into force in February 2024, and it’s a big deal. It’s the EU’s way of telling tech giants like Meta, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) that enough is enough — they need to clean up their platforms, remove harmful content faster, and be transparent about how they operate.
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To make that happen, each EU country was supposed to appoint a national regulator — someone to act as the local watchdog for digital platforms — and give them the proper tools, staff, and legal authority to do their job.
But here’s where things fell apart. According to the Commission:
Poland hasn’t even appointed a regulator
Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Czechia did name one, but failed to give them enough power to actually enforce the law
After months of warnings, the Commission has decided to take all five countries to the EU’s top court.
Why the Digital Services Act matters for all internet users in Europe
This isn’t just red tape or Brussels flexing its muscles. The DSA is meant to make the internet safer for all of us — by forcing online platforms to remove illegal content quickly, tackle misinformation, and explain how their algorithms work.
And while the EU itself monitors the biggest platforms (those with over 45 million users), national regulators are supposed to handle the rest — and work closely with Brussels on investigations.
But if those regulators don’t have the power to act? The whole system falls apart. That’s why the Commission says it had no choice but to go to court — to make sure the law actually works on the ground.
Bulgaria at risk of EU action as Big Tech faces DSA investigations
Spain and the others aren’t the only ones under fire. The EU also gave Bulgaria a two-month warning to sort things out — or it too will end up in court. Just like Poland, Bulgaria hasn’t empowered its regulator or set any official penalties for breaking the DSA.
Meanwhile, the Commission is already busy investigating platforms like TikTok, X, and Meta to see if they’re living up to their obligations under the new rules. None of those cases have wrapped up yet — but it shows the EU is taking its new powers seriously.
This latest legal move sends a clear message: Europe is done waiting. If countries don’t step up to enforce the rules, Brussels will make sure they do — in court if necessary.
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