Regulating the Undefined: Addressing Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act (with an Appendix on the AI Act)

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Michele Loi, Andrea Ferrario, Matteo Fabbri

Published: 04 May 2025, Last Modified: 08 May 2026Philosophy & Technology, 38, Article 82EveryoneRevisionsCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Abstract: This paper examines how regulators and online platforms can govern systemic risks under the EU Digital Services Act despite deep disagreement about definitions and methods. It proposes a dual-track framework: a flexible research standard that preserves methodological pluralism, and a compliance standard that supports accountability through structured documentation. The paper also connects this approach to the EU AI Act.