Lower house approves law aimed at making online environment safer

The Chamber of Deputies has approved a Digital Economy Act designed to make the online environment safer and introduce stricter rules for online marketplaces and social networks. The legislation brings Czech law into line with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

The law sets out rules for a wide range of online intermediary services, including internet providers, online marketplaces, social networks, cloud services, digital platforms, web hosting providers and search engines. Among other things, it aims to strengthen the protection of children in cyberspace.

The legislation was originally submitted by the previous government of Petr Fiala during the last parliamentary term, but MPs failed to pass it before last year's elections. Czechia is already facing proceedings before the EU Court of Justice over its failure to implement the obligations on time.