Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336201 
Year of Publication: 
2026
Citation: 
[Journal:] Internet Policy Review [ISSN:] 2197-6775 [Volume:] 15 [Issue:] 1 [Year:] 2026 [Pages:] 1-30
Publisher: 
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin
Abstract: 
Numerous empirical studies indicate that social media use is correlated with, and sometimes might be causing, mental harms like addiction, anxiety and depression, or lowering of cognitive abilities. In 2023, the European Parliament called on the European Commission to introduce new rules to combat these problems. However, it might take years before such new laws are adopted and become applicable. In this article, we demonstrate how a law already in effect - the Digital Services Act - offers the Commission tools necessary to combat certain mental harms stemming from social media's design and functioning within the ad-based business model. We show that the risk assessment and mitigation obligations addressed at the Very Large Online Platforms' providers include three "mental goods:" the mental well-being of individuals, mental health (as a component of public health), and the fundamental right to mental integrity. This article offers elaboration and theorisation of these concepts to enable more effective application of the DSA's requirements, both by providers engaging in risk assessment and the Commission serving as the enforcer.
Subjects: 
Digital Service Act
Enforcement
Mental harm
Mental well-being
Socialmedia
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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