How Has the DSA Performed in Protecting Election Integrity?

Social media platforms continue to be perceived as a threat to the integrity of democratic elections in Europe. Around every major vote, there are reports of disinformation and foreign interference campaigns. There is also a growing awareness that while online platforms have become a central arena for public discourse, the rules of the game are set by a few private companies. And while Europe remains dependent on US Big Tech, there is a widening transatlantic rift over how to govern those platforms.

Much hope was placed on the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and its systemic risk framework as Europe’s most potent response to platform-driven harm to election integrity. Some commentators even asked whether the DSA could “save democracy.” A look back at three recent elections (Romania’s presidential election in November 2024, Germany’s federal election in February 2025 and Poland’s presidential election in May 2025) offers a sobering picture of the DSA’s effectiveness in safeguarding civic discourse and electoral processes online.