For service users

All providers of intermediary services must provide users with the possibility of electronic communication via a single point of contact in a user-friendly manner. Users must also be provided with all the information regarding the restrictions that providers of intermediary services impose on user information in a clear and understandable manner in the general terms and conditions. 

A wider range of obligations applies to providers of hosting services and especially to providers of online platforms. Hosting service providers must provide users with the possibility to report illegal content and provide explanations for restrictions imposed on service users, while online platform providers must also establish internal complaint-handling systems for service users, cooperate with out-of-court dispute resolution bodies and provide certain information on advertising and recommender systems.

Explanation of the concepts and frequently asked questions related to the work of the Digital Services Coordinator.

What are digital services?

Digital services include a broad category of online services, from simple websites to internet infrastructure services and online platforms. The rules in the DSA apply primarily to online intermediaries and platforms. These are online marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, app stores and online travel and accommodation platforms.

What is the Digital Services Act?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a single set of rules that apply throughout the EU with the aim of creating a safer digital space where the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected.

What is the Digital Services Coordinator?

The Digital Services Coordinator is the body responsible for the application and enforcement of the European DSA in each Member State. Slovenia has designated AKOS as the Digital Services Coordinator by law.

What are the tasks of the Digital Services Coordinator?

Together with the European Commission, they contribute to monitoring the implementation of the DSA. They are responsible for supervising platforms in their country, can carry out inspections and impose fines in case of breaches. The Coordinator, i.e. AKOS in Slovenia, also grants status to organisations and institutions that apply to become trusted flaggers and will detect and report illegal content. The Coordinator also designates out-of-court dispute resolution bodies that will take decisions on disputes between users and online service providers. The Coordinator will forward complaints from Slovenian users against providers from any EU country or providers operating in the EU to other competent Coordinators.

Who are trusted flaggers?

Trusted flaggers are legal persons governed by private or public law that have specific expertise and competence for the purposes of detecting, identifying and reporting illegal content and are independent of online platforms. Online platforms must ensure that notifications submitted by trusted flaggers are prioritised and dealt with expeditiously.

How can organisations apply for trusted flagger status?

Under the DSA, trusted flagger is a status granted by the Digital Services Coordinator in the Member State where the applicant is established. An applicant must: 

• have specific expertise and competence for the purposes of detecting, identifying and reporting illegal content
• be independent of any online platform provider
• carry out activities for the purpose of submitting notifications diligently, accurately and objectively

What is illegal content?

The DSA provides an EU-wide framework for detecting, flagging and removing illegal content. What constitutes illegal content is defined in other laws at EU level or at national level in specific sectoral laws.

Who will resolve disputes between users and platform providers?

Online platform users have the option of using out-of-court dispute resolution in relation to decisions taken by the online platform provider, including those that could not be satisfactorily resolved through the internal complaint-handling system of the provider. They can do this with certified bodies that are independent and have the necessary resources and expertise to carry out their activities fairly, quickly and cost-effectively. These bodies are certified by AKOS as the Digital Services Coordinator, which also issues them with an out-of-court dispute resolution certificate and will publish them on its website.

What must service providers in Slovenia provide?

All providers must provide a single point of contact, an easily accessible contact where users can electronically report content they believe to be illegal. Platforms must deal with these complaints. Platforms must explain to users whose content is removed, or whose visibility of posting or payment is restricted, why they have done so and allow them to appeal or mediate in this regard. Platform providers must also ensure that advertisements are clearly labelled and that the advertiser is clearly identifiable.

When can you contact AKOS as the Digital Services Coordinator and when can you contact the platforms directly, including very large platforms based outside Slovenia?

Users are to contact AKOS when they believe that the platform is not complying with its obligations under the Regulation – for example, if it does not offer users a visible option to report illegal content electronically, or if it does not respond to users and explain its interference with their content on the platform. This means that users, as in other countries, must first contact the platforms. Users must also contact the platforms directly for complaints against their decisions.

What to do if a user notices content that they believe is illegal?

If users believe that information that constitutes illegal content has been published on an online platform, they should inform the competent authorities, the police, or submit a report directly to the provider. Reporting the content to a trusted flagger is also a good option. AKOS will publish a list of organisations that have been granted trusted flagger status on its website.

What can citizens report to AKOS and how?

Users should, as in other countries, contact the platforms first. Anyone who believes that a provider has violated any of the obligations for digital service providers can lodge a complaint with AKOS. AKOS will examine the complaint, deal with it appropriately and, if necessary, forward it to the competent authorities in Slovenia or to the competent Digital Services Coordinator in another EU Member State.

You can send a complaint by email to: info.box@akos-rs.si or by post to: Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia, Stegne 7, 1000 Ljubljana.

A complaint can also be made orally and recorded at AKOS during office hours, i.e. Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and on Wednesdays also from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.