Policy Paper on the Digital Services Act and digital gender-based violence (2026)

Online platforms make daily decisions about how visible violence is – and how well those affected are protected. Our new policy paper shows how major online platforms are still falling short in implementing their obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) when it comes to (digital) gender-based violence.

Based on risk assessments under Article 34 DSA from platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Pornhub, and XVideos, we identify key protection gaps in risk analyses, reporting mechanisms, and points of contact. We demonstrate how gender-based violence is systematically downplayed, how manipulative design discourages users from reporting – and why violence in intimate and social contexts continue to remain invisible.

The paper sets out concrete feminist recommendations on Articles 12,16,34, and 35 DSA: calling for binding standards, intersectional risk assessment, and reporting systems that are truly accessible.