Microsoft commits to EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) for transparency in ads

Microsoft is taking steps to comply with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect users online and increase transparency for tech platforms.

Microsoft has committed to providing more information about targeted advertisements to users. This move is likely in response to the DSA’s requirements for platforms to be more transparent about their advertising practices.

From October onwards, Microsoft plans to release a report every six months on its DSA compliance efforts on the Microsoft Reports Hub. This report will provide updated information on Bing’s average monthly active users in the EU.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a regulation in EU law that aims to update the Electronic Commerce Directive 2000 regarding illegal content, transparent advertising, and disinformation.

The DSA has a significant requirement that platforms should provide users with the choice to have a feed that is not personalized and not based on user profiling. Microsoft’s LinkedIn has successfully implemented this change on both the desktop and mobile versions of the network.

• A new Digital Safety website has been launched to inform users about Microsoft’s safety practices policies and how to report concerns across its online services.
• Bing’s “Report a Concern” process now includes easier reporting of exposed personal information by minors, a new category for reporting concerns in generative AI features, clearer policies on nonconsensual intimate imagery and synthetic “deepfake” images.
• The Microsoft Ad Library has been introduced to enhance transparency for consumers about the advertisements on the Bing platform.
• Additional transparency documentation is being developed to better explain Bing’s search processes, ranking principles, moderation policies, and user controls.

The DSA applies to “very large” social media networks and websites. Microsoft-owned platforms like Bing and LinkedIn, along with other major tech players such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, are among the platforms covered by these regulations.