Industry associations GSMA and ETNO called on the European Commission (EC) to ensure the forthcoming Digital Services Act tackles the impact of excessive market power, and strikes a balance between online freedoms and preventing toxic activity.

In a joint statement made as part of an ongoing public consultation on future regulation, the organisations said the act had the potential to not only be “one of the most relevant tech policy exercises of our generation”, but also “inspire a new global approach to digital markets”.

The Digital Services Act is a series of policies being drawn-up by the EC to modernise rules applicable to companies supplying digital services within the European Union. It is likely to cover aspects including competition issues and market imbalances.

Ahead of the consultation closing tomorrow (8 September), ETNO and the GSMA published a series of recommendations on behalf of the telecommunications industry.

Among the policies backed by the groups are protecting internet freedoms; ensuring certainty and proportionality in new rules; and focusing regulations on services hosting, disseminating, sharing or removing content “with a broad audience”.

Other recommendations include the creation of a list of prohibited commercial practices and the creation of rules on supervision and enforcement at an EU level.