The DSA Transparency Database and what it can show business users

The EU’s Digital Services Act Transparency Database makes statements of reasons for certain platform moderation decisions public. For business owners, it is a source of evidence about how platforms describe decisions—not a ruling on whether a particular decision was fair or lawful.

What happened

The European Commission’s Digital Services Act Transparency Database, launched in September 2023, publishes statements of reasons submitted by online platforms, with more than three billion statements recorded.

Under Article 17 of the Digital Services Act, platforms must provide statements of reasons for covered restrictions, including information about whether automated means were used.
The Commission describes the Transparency Database as a public database of these statements; it has recorded more than three billion.
The EU Platform-to-Business Regulation separately requires a statement of reasons for certain restrictions or suspensions of business users and at least 30 days’ notice before termination of the whole service.

What it means for small businesses

The database can help owners inspect how a platform explains recorded moderation decisions, but a statement is not proof that the stated reason is accurate or that the decision was fair.

The EU framework does not establish that identical protections apply in every country. Owners elsewhere should check the rules that govern their own platform relationship.

Reseated’s Platform Council data documents substantial member reporting about suspensions and funds held, but it is not a measure of the prevalence of those problems across all businesses.