As a developer in the EU, you’re used to hearing scary four-letter acronyms. You’ve mastered GDPR (data privacy). Now, the new kid on the block is the DSA (Digital Services Act).
The DSA is a massive EU law designed to make the internet a safer place. It regulates online platforms (like X, TikTok, and LinkedIn) to fight illegal content, stop disinformation, and increase transparency.
As a front-end developer, you read this and think, “This is a legal problem, not my problem.”
And you’re 99% right.
The DSA is aimed at the business and policy of a platform, not your React components. However, those policies will be implemented by the tech team, and that’s where you might come in.
The DSA’s Goal: User Safety & Transparency
The DSA’s main rules force platforms to:
- Have an easy-to-use “flagging” system for illegal content.
- Explain why they removed a user’s content (a “statement of reasons”).
- Be transparent about all advertising.
- Give users an option for a feed that isn’t based on profiling (e.g., a chronological feed).
- Ban “dark patterns”—deceptive UI/UX designed to trick users.
What This Actually Means for a Front-End Developer
If you’re working on jobs in the EU at a social media company, a marketplace (like Amazon or Shein), or any platform with user-generated content, you won’t be reading the law, but your Product Manager will give you tickets that are a direct result of the DSA.
You might be asked to build:
- The “Report Post” Modal: A new, complex modal that allows users to “flag illegal content” and select from a specific list of reasons.
- The “Ad Transparency” Popover: A small “i” icon on an ad that, when clicked, shows who paid for the ad and why it’s being shown to you.
- The “Content Removed” Component: A new UI component that clearly explains why a user’s post was taken down, replacing a generic “this content is unavailable” message.
- The “Feed” Toggle: A button in the settings that allows users to switch from an “algorithmic” feed to a “chronological” one.
- The “No Dark Patterns” Review: Your PM will ask you to review the sign-up or checkout process. That “pre-ticked” marketing box? Or that “Buy Now” button that’s huge, while the “Cancel” link is tiny grey text? That’s a “dark pattern,” and the DSA bans it. You’ll be the one to fix it.
Conclusion
A recruitment agency, get-talent.eu in Europe isn’t going to quiz you on the DSA. But you should be aware of it.
For 99% of developers, the DSA’s impact is small and indirect. It just means you’ll be building more components centered on user safety, transparency, and choice. And that’s a good thing.
References
- European Commission: Digital Services Act: keeping us safe online
- European Commission: How the Digital Services Act enhances transparency online
- European Parliament: Regulating dark patterns in the EU
- CitrusAd Developers: Digital Services Act – Overview