Several major online platforms have launched legal proceedings against the European Commission over fees imposed under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission charged the largest online platforms a total of €58.2 million in supervisory fees last year. These fees apply to platforms with over 45 million users per month and are meant to fund enforcement activities, human resources, and administrative costs related to the DSA in 2025. No individual platform is required to pay more than 0.05% of its global profit.
Three major platforms—Meta, TikTok, and Google—have filed a total of five court cases against these fees. The cases remain unresolved.
The DSA aims to increase transparency and accountability for online content. It officially took effect in late 2023, becoming applicable to all online platforms in February 2024. Since its implementation, the Commission has designated 25 companies as Very Large Online Platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Shein, LinkedIn, and Zalando.
Throughout 2024, the Commission sent 100 information requests to major platforms and initiated nine formal investigations. It also hired 51 staff members, including legal experts, data scientists, and communications specialists, to support DSA enforcement. However, recruitment delays led to fewer full-time contracts than planned.
Despite the fees, the Commission reported a €514,061 deficit in DSA-related expenses for 2023. Investigations remain ongoing, with the most advanced case involving X, formerly Twitter, over transparency and accountability concerns.
