Amazon asks court to scrap EU tech label, arguing it poses no systemic risks
Amazon
asked Europe's second-highest court on Thursday to scrap its designation as a platform subject to stricter requirements under landmark EU online content rules, arguing that it poses no systematic risks to its users.
The
Digital Services Act
, which came into force in 2022, requires Big Tech companies to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms.
The US online retail giant took its grievance to the Luxembourg-based General Court after the
European Commission
classified it as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the DSA.
A
VLOP designation
requires companies to do more to tackle illegal online content, undertake risk management, conduct external and independent auditing and share data with authorities and researchers.
"
Online marketplaces
like the
Amazon Store
do not pose systemic risks. Second, the VLOP rules do not and cannot rationally assist in preventing the dissemination of illegal or counterfeit goods," Amazon's lawyer Robert Spano told the court.
Live Events
"The VLOP rules therefore make no sense when applied to online marketplaces," he said.
Discover the stories of your interest
Blockchain
5 Stories
Cyber-safety
7 Stories
Fintech
9 Stories
E-comm
9 Stories
ML
8 Stories
Edtech
6 Stories
Amazon said any risks are limited to individual customers, not the totality of its users and that even if problematic products exist, widespread exposure is minimal and already dealt with by a number of product safety and compliance laws.
"When it comes to marketplaces like the Amazon Store, size does not multiply risk. It is an arbitrary, disproportionate and discriminatory metric," Spano said.
The court will rule in the coming months.
Meta Platforms
, Chinese social media app
TikTok
and German online retailer Zalando have also challenged the DSA on various grounds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
CBI books Supertech, its promoter RK Arora for cheating IDBI Bank of ₹126.07 crore
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed an FIR against Noida-based real estate developer Supertech, its promoter RK Arora and others for allegedly cheating IDBI Bank to the tune of ₹ 126.07 crore, officials said on Saturday. Alongside Arora, the construction firm's whole-time directors Sangita Arora, Mohit Arora, Parul Arora, Vikas Kansal, Pradeep Kumar, Anil Kumar Sharma, and Anil Kumar Jain were named in the FIR, apart from the company itself, according to the officials. Officials of the CBI on Saturday conducted coordinated search operations in five locations linked to the accused persons. Searches were conducted at official and residential premises in Noida and Ghaziabad in connection with the case. During the raids, agency officials seized cash amounting to ₹ 28.5 lakh, CBI's spokesperson said in a statement. The case was initiated following a complaint from IDBI Bank, which alleged that the accused had conspired to misappropriate sanctioned loan funds through fraudulent means. According to the FIR, the bank alleged that the company and its directors submitted forged documents to secure credit facilities under false pretenses. The loan account was subsequently declared a wilful default and categorised as fraudulent, allegedly resulting in wrongful losses totalling ₹ 126.07 crore to IDBI Bank Ltd., the CBI said. Observing an 'unholy' nexus between the banks and developers, the Supreme Court in April had directed the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry into projects of realty major Supertech Limited in NCR. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh took into account an affidavit filed by CBI and directed the UP, Haryana DGPs to give a list of DSPs, inspector, constables to the agency to constitute a special investigation team (SIT). The top court further directed the CEOs/administrators of Greater Noida Authority, Noida Authority, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and RBI to notify one nodal officer from among their senior-most officers within a week to extend necessary assistance to the SIT. The apex court previously said thousands of homebuyers were affected by the subvention scheme, where banks paid 60 to 70 per cent of the home loan amount to the builders without projects being completed within the stipulated time. The apex court had then ordered the CBI to submit a roadmap on how it planned to unravel the "builder-banks nexus" which duped thousands of homebuyers in the NCR and proposed to go into the root of the matter.
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
India will soon have its own satellites to monitor spy satellites. How the technology works
'India will be focusing on improving its presence in space in the coming years. This initiative will be a part of that larger aim,' a senior ISRO official said. The project being undertaken by the Defence Ministry, which is in the process of being finalised, will have 'satellite mapping' capabilities and will be fully made in India, senior officials from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told ThePrint. New Delhi: Spy satellites to monitor other spy satellites. India will soon have its own constellation of satellites to keep an eye out for other satellites that might be surveilling India. This network of satellites will enhance India's space domain awareness and will also help monitor orbital threats in real-time. The project is being overseen under NETRA, a Network for Tracking Space Objects and Analysis, which detects space debris and other hazardous space objects. The official said that while ISRO will partner with the MoD in overseeing the overall design and monitoring of these satellites, a private Bengaluru-based space start-up, Digantara, has been contracted to deploy these satellites within the next year. How does satellite mapping work? The capabilities of monitoring foreign satellites is being acquired by countries including the US, Russia and China. These satellites have propulsion and guidance systems that utilise factors such as orbital inclinations and altitudes to get information and photographs from a potential target satellite. Some of these satellites are also capable of intercepting inter-satellite communications and links to ground stations. Varying versions of such technology are either already deployed or are currently being tested. In 2020, the US Space Command—an agency responsible for tracking all objects in orbit—flagged that the Russian satellite Kosmos 2543 had released an unknown object into space. This was believed to be a test of a new technology that could be used to destroy objects already in orbit. The Russian satellite released this tech in close proximity to another Russian satellite. 'Space is increasingly becoming a weapon for countries. Battles will no longer be limited to just the ground, but will also be fought in space. And countries need to be ready for it,' the ISRO official said. Focus on active orbital security India is already working on increasing its defence capabilities in space. Its next 'spy satellite programme', space-based surveillance-3 or SBS-3, will launch a constellation of 52 surveillance satellites in the coming two years. Three private space startups, Ananth Technologies, Centum Electronics and Alpha Design Technologies, have joined hands with the government to give shape to this project. The Rs 27,000 crore project is set to significantly improve India's national security capabilities. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: DRDO eyes persistent high-altitude surveillance edge as Stratospheric Airship soars in maiden trial
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Mont Vert Group Signs $500 Million Deal to Build Medical University and Hospital in Kazakhstan
VMPL Pune (Maharashtra) [India], June 14: Pune-based leading real estate firm Mont Vert Group has signed a $500 million (approx. ₹4,300 crore) agreement with Kazakhstan's Big B Corporation to develop a medical university and a multi-specialty hospital in Kazakhstan. The announcement was made during the 30th anniversary celebration of SRAM & MRAM Group, held at Raven's Ait Private Island in London. The event was graced by notable dignitaries including Mr. Jayantilal Kaneria, Chairman, Mont Vert Group, Mr. Neeraj Kaneria, Managing Director, Mont Vert Group, Mr. Ajay Bhandari, Director, Big B Corporation (Kazakhstan), Mr. Mahendra Joshi, Director, SRAM & MRAM Group, Mr. Nitin Gupta, and Dr. Swapnil Kamble, all Directors of SRAM & MRAM Group. As per a press release by UK-based SRAM & MRAM Group, Mont Vert Group has been entrusted with the construction and development of this project. This private healthcare initiative is being undertaken jointly by SRAM & MRAM Group, Big B Corporation, and KAZIND Medical Group of Kazakhstan. The deal was made possible due to the efforts of Mr. Ajay Bhandari and Mr. Mahendra Joshi, Directors of Big B Corporation and SRAM & MRAM Group respectively. Last October, the Kazakh government approved 243 hectares of land in Astana and 100 hectares in Almaty for the project. The campus will house a medical college accommodating 10,000 students and a multi-specialty hospital with 1,000 beds. Mont Vert Group, a trusted name in Pune's real estate landscape, has successfully delivered over 6.8 million square feet of residential and commercial projects. Chairman Mr. Jayantilal Kaneria and Managing Director Mr. Neeraj Kaneria bring over 30 years of experience to the industry. Mr. Sailesh Lachu Hiranandani, Chairman of SRAM & MRAM Group, said, "Mont Vert Group represents the pinnacle of excellence in Indian real estate. Their experience and quality commitment make them the ideal partner for this international healthcare venture." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
