ANACOM takes part in the 19th Meeting of the European Board for Digital Services

The 19th regular meeting of the European Board on Digital Services (the "DSA Board") was held in Brussels on 1 July 2026. This meeting included the first joint session with the European Committee on Media Services (the "Media Board").

ANACOM took part in the meeting, represented by Sandra Maximiano (Chairwoman of the Board of Directors) and Raquel Brízida Castro (Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors), at a time when the focus was on strengthening regulatory cooperation and protecting rights in the digital environment.

The key points discussed, based on the documents and the minutes of the meeting, are as follows:

• Report on Systemic Risks and the Protection of Minors

The DSA Board adopted its second annual report on systemic risks, which was prepared in collaboration with the European Commission (EC). The report focuses specifically on the protection of minors, identifying risks such as addictive behaviour on social media, exposure to harmful content (e.g. viral challenges or adult content), and harmful behaviour such as cyberbullying. It also analyses mitigation measures, including tools to control recommendation algorithms and programmes to protect celebrities against the misuse of their image by generative AI.

• Investigation into Meta

The DSA Board discussed the Commission's preliminary findings regarding Meta. The assessment indicates that the company is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram effectively. Shortcomings in the risk assessment were identified, along with the need to implement more robust age verification mechanisms that safeguard privacy.

• Data Access for Vetted Researchers

Significant progress has been made in terms of access to data for research purposes. Following the publication of new guidelines, the quality of applications has improved considerably, with 12 "vetted researcher" statuses already awarded. The DSA Board has agreed on the next steps, which include consulting independent experts to assist with the assessment of new applications.

• Cooperation with the Media Board and Media Pluralism

During the joint session, the relationship between the DSA, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) was discussed. The focus was on safeguarding media freedom and how news content is treated on very large platforms, with the aim of ensuring regulatory consistency and media pluralism.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint press release reaffirming the European authorities' commitment to creating a safer, more transparent digital ecosystem.

Raquel Brízida Castro (Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors) and Sandra Maximiano (Chairwoman of the Board of Directors) at the 19th Regular Meeting of the European Board for Digital Services, on 01.07.2026.

The ANACOM delegation at the 19th Regular Meeting of the European Board for Digital Services: Rita Silva (Foreign Affairs and Development Office), Sandra Maximiano (Chairwoman of the Board of Directors) and Raquel Brízida Castro (Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors).