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Digital Services Act: technical assistance for market intelligence, evidence gathering and compliance monitoring / Evidence gathering and compliance monitoring of online marketplaces and compliance with online advertising provisions (Lot 3)

This assignment, led by Verian Brussels, aims to support the European Commission in monitoring compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA) provisions concerning online marketplaces and advertising. The project focuses specifically on assessing how Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) comply with transparency requirements in online advertising and obligations related to verification of traders and handling of illegal products on marketplaces. This monitoring will provide evidence to the Commission in its role as primary enforcer of the DSA for designated entities.

The proposed methodology combines multiple complementary approaches to gather robust evidence of compliance: systematic review of platforms' documentation and processes against a structured indicator framework; analysis of advertisement repositories' content using advanced analytics; web scraping of marketplace content to assess trader information and product listings; mystery shopping to test user experience from both consumer and business user perspectives; and case studies examining specific categories of illegal products and the role of influencers. Additionally, the approach includes a consumer survey and horizon scanning activities to capture emerging trends and challenges. This comprehensive methodology will allow measuring compliance at the level of processes put in place by platforms, outputs of these processes, as well as actual results and user experience.