Digital Services Coordinator

A Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) is the national authority in each EU Member State responsible for supervising and enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and related obligations. The DSC acts as the main point of contact for digital services regulation, coordinating with other Member States and the European Commission to ensure consistent enforcement across the EU.

Legal Basis

"Each Member State shall designate one or more competent authorities as responsible for the supervision of providers of intermediary services and the enforcement of this Regulation ('Digital Services Coordinators')."

— Article 49(1), Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)

The DSA also establishes that Digital Services Coordinators have specific responsibilities under Regulation 2024/900 regarding the transparency and targeting of political advertising, particularly for cross-border supervision and enforcement.

Why It Matters

Digital Services Coordinators are crucial authorities for anyone involved in political advertising, online platforms, or digital services in the EU. They supervise compliance with transparency obligations for political advertising, investigate potential violations, and can impose penalties for non-compliance.

For publishers, platforms, and sponsors of political advertising, the DSC in each Member State serves as the primary contact point for questions about compliance, reporting obligations, and handling complaints. DSCs work together across borders, meaning that a violation in one Member State can trigger coordinated enforcement action across multiple jurisdictions.

The DSC's role extends beyond political advertising to cover the entire Digital Services Act framework, including content moderation, illegal content removal, and platform transparency. This broad mandate means DSCs have comprehensive oversight of how online services operate within their territory.

Key Points

National enforcement authority: Each EU Member State has at least one DSC responsible for supervising digital services and enforcing DSA obligations
Political advertising oversight: DSCs supervise compliance with transparency requirements under Regulation 2024/900, including proper labeling and disclosure obligations
Cross-border cooperation: DSCs coordinate with each other through the European Board for Digital Services to ensure consistent enforcement across the EU
Complaint handling: Recipients of services and other interested parties can submit complaints to DSCs about potential violations of transparency or targeting rules
Investigation and penalties: DSCs have the power to investigate violations, request information from service providers, and impose administrative fines for non-compliance
Primary contact point: For most platforms and service providers, the DSC is the main regulatory authority they interact with for DSA-related matters

Digital Services Coordinator vs. Data Protection Authority

While both are national supervisory authorities, they have different mandates. A Digital Services Coordinator enforces the Digital Services Act and political advertising transparency rules, focusing on content moderation, platform obligations, and advertising transparency. A Data Protection Authority enforces GDPR and data protection laws, focusing on how personal data is collected, processed, and protected.

For political advertising, the DSC handles transparency obligations (such as proper labeling and disclosure of sponsors), while the Data Protection Authority handles complaints about the use of personal data for targeting or ad delivery. Both authorities may be involved in a single case, particularly when political advertising involves personal data processing.

Aspect	Digital Services Coordinator	Data Protection Authority
Primary regulation	Digital Services Act, Political Advertising Regulation	GDPR, national data protection laws
Main focus	Platform obligations, content, advertising transparency	Personal data processing, privacy rights
For political ads	Labeling, transparency notices, sponsor disclosure	Lawfulness of targeting, consent, data use

Related Terms

Very transparent. Every political ad will be labelled, linked to a transparency notice with detailed information, and online ads will be searchable in a central European repository.

The Network coordinates election-related cooperation between member states. National contact points for TTPA enforcement should be members of this network where possible.

Election campaigns will need to ensure all paid advertising includes proper labels and transparency notices. Sponsors must be prepared to provide required information to all service providers.

Several major platforms currently do not allow paid political advertising, including some large social networks. This limits where political actors can place paid online advertisements.

The TTPA applies from 10 October 2025. Member States had until 10 April 2025 to designate competent authorities, and the Commission must provide label templates by 10 July 2025.

Publishers must ensure completeness and accuracy of certain information but are not required to verify all sponsor claims. They must correct manifestly erroneous information when they become aware of it.

Yes. When a hosting provider and a website both display an ad, both are considered publishers with responsibility for their specific services. Contracts should clarify how they share compliance duties.

If a publisher removes or disables access to a political ad due to illegality or terms violations, they must still provide access to the transparency information for the full seven-year retention period.