Online safety & content laws in Belgium (2026)
Online safety rules in Belgium: comprehensive law.
Belgium's online-safety/platform regime is anchored in the fully-applicable EU Digital Services Act (DSA), operationalised nationally through the federal Act of 21 April 2024 and a 3 May 2024 cooperation agreement between the Federal State and the three Communities. BIPT is the national Digital Services Coordinator and single point of contact, working alongside the Flemish (VRM), French (CSA) and German-speaking (Medienrat) community media regulators. BIPT is also the competent authority for the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation and can fine hosts up to 4% of global turnover; there is no dedicated Belgian age-verification statute, with age assurance instead following the emerging EU framework.
Legal framework
EU Digital Services Act (Regulation 2022/2065), implemented nationally by the Act of 21 April 2024 and the Cooperation Agreement of 3 May 2024, with the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) designated as Digital Services Coordinator; complemented by the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation (2021/784) and the NIS2 Law of 26 April 2024
The Digital Services Act in Belgium
In Belgium, online platforms and intermediaries are governed by the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), a directly-applicable regulation covering illegal content, transparency and user protection.
- Framework
- the EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065)
- Approach
- notice-and-action on illegal content, transparency reporting, clear terms, and protection of minors
- Applies to
- online intermediaries, hosting services and platforms offering services to users in Belgium, wherever established
- Very large platforms
- platforms and search engines with 45M+ EU users face extra systemic-risk audits, overseen by the European Commission
- Maximum fine
- up to 6% of global annual turnover
- Oversight
- the national Digital Services Coordinator, plus the European Commission for very large platforms
The DSA is an EU regulation applied directly in Belgium; the national Digital Services Coordinator handles day-to-day supervision.
Key points: internet & online safety in Belgium
DSA national coordinator
The Act of 21 April 2024 designates BIPT as the federal competent authority and Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) for Belgium, acting as the single point of contact with the European Commission, the European Board for Digital Services and providers of intermediary services.
Multi-authority federal structure
A cooperation agreement of 3 May 2024 confirms a four-authority model: BIPT at federal level plus the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (VRM), Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) and Medienrat as competent authorities for audiovisual media services in the Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities.
Platform liability under the DSA
Since 17 February 2024 the DSA applies in full to online intermediaries and platforms in Belgium, imposing notice-and-action, transparency, risk-assessment and trusted-flagger obligations, with BIPT centralising Belgian removal orders and complaints from users.
Terrorist content online
BIPT is the Belgian competent authority for Regulation (EU) 2021/784 (TCO), enforcing the one-hour removal-order rule against hosting service providers; non-compliance can attract fines up to 4% of worldwide turnover, and BIPT opened a probe of Telegram in 2024 that continues in 2025-2026.
Age verification and child protection
Belgium has no dedicated national age-verification law for social media; it did not sign the October 2025 Jutland Declaration on privacy-preserving age assurance, and is expected to align with the EU age-verification blueprint and the Commission's April 2026 Recommendation, using the national MyGov.be digital identity as a possible tool.
Adjacent cybersecurity regime (NIS2)
Belgium was the first EU state to fully transpose NIS2, via the Law of 26 April 2024 in force since 18 October 2024, designating the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) as national cybersecurity authority and national CSIRT for essential and important entities including digital service providers.
The Digital Services Act in Belgium: FAQ
Does the Digital Services Act apply in Belgium?
Yes. As an EU member, Belgium is covered by the EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), which applies directly.
What does the DSA require of platforms in Belgium?
Notice-and-action mechanisms for illegal content, transparency reporting, clear terms of service, and measures to protect minors.
Who enforces the DSA in Belgium?
The national Digital Services Coordinator, with the European Commission supervising very large online platforms and search engines.
What are the penalties under the DSA in Belgium?
Up to 6% of a provider's global annual turnover for serious breaches.
Timeline of decisions
- Law · officialDSA cooperation agreement and BIPT enforcement powers take effect
The intra-Belgian cooperation agreement and the law designating BIPT as Digital Services Coordinator entered into force, activating BIPT's powers to certify trusted flaggers, investigate, and fine providers up to 6% of global turnover. It made Belgium's multi-level DSA enforcement operational across federal and community regulators.
BIPT
- Law · officialFinal DSA implementing measures published in Moniteur belge
Belgium published the law approving the 3 May 2024 cooperation agreement between the Federal State and the three Communities on coordinated DSA implementation, completing the national legal framework for the regulation. It allocated competences for online content oversight among BIPT, VRM, CSA and the Medienrat.
European Audiovisual Observatory (Council of Europe)
- Law · officialCooperation agreement signed between Federal State and Communities
The federal government and the Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities concluded a cooperation agreement to jointly coordinate parts of the DSA, reflecting Belgium's split competence over audiovisual and online content. It established BIPT as the single point of contact toward the EU and other member states.
European Audiovisual Observatory (Council of Europe)
- EnforcementFrench-Community regulator CSA flags pornographic content on X accessible to minors
The Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel published findings that pornographic content circulated freely on X without effective age protection, in possible breach of the AVMSD and DSA. The intervention spotlighted Belgian regulators' focus on protecting children from explicit online content.
Digital Watch Observatory
- Law · officialDigital Services Act becomes fully applicable in Belgium
The EU Digital Services Act became directly applicable to all intermediary services, imposing notice-and-action, transparency and illegal-content obligations on platforms operating in Belgium. As a regulation it applied without transposition, superseding parts of the older e-commerce regime.
BIPT
- Enforcement · officialVRM issues first warnings to influencers under Flemish Media Decree
The Flemish Media Regulator issued its first formal warnings to influencers for breaching commercial-communication rules, marking initial enforcement of AVMSD-derived obligations on social media content creators. It signalled that vloggers and influencers fall within audiovisual content regulation.
European Audiovisual Observatory (Council of Europe)
- Law · officialFlemish Media Decree transposes revised AVMSD to video-sharing platforms
Flanders amended its Media Decree to implement the 2018 revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive, extending content rules to video-sharing platforms and influencer channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. It brought user-generated online video within the audiovisual safety framework.
Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (VRM)
- Law · officialBook XII 'Law of the Electronic Economy' enters into force
Inserted into the Code of Economic Law by the Act of 15 December 2013, Book XII codified Belgium's e-commerce rules, including hosting/caching/mere-conduit liability exemptions for intermediaries. It consolidated the legal basis for platform responsibility for illegal content.
FPS Economy (SPF Economie)
- Law · officialBelgium transposes the EU e-Commerce Directive
The Law of 11 March 2003 on certain legal aspects of information society services transposed Directive 2000/31/EC, setting the original framework for intermediary liability, notice-based removal of illegal content, and electronic communications. It laid the foundation for online content regulation later folded into Book XII and the DSA.
FPS Economy (SPF Economie)
Sources
- bipt.be/operators/digital/digital-services-act/digital-service-act
- bipt.be/consumers/digital/the-digital-services-act-dsa/digital-service-act-in
- merlin.obs.coe.int/article/10213
- loyensloeff.com/insights/news--events/news/belgium-is-getting-ready-for-the-digital-s
- bipt.be/operators/digital/terrorist-content-online/what-is-the-tco-regulation
- bipt.be/operators/digital/terrorist-content-online/obligations-imposed-to-the
- digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-calls-belgium-bulgaria-spain-netherlands-and-polan
- better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/age-assurance-across-europe-how-countries-are-safeguarding-mi
- insideprivacy.com/minors/eu-sets-the-clock-on-age-verification-rollout-urged-by-end%E2%
- ccb.belgium.be/regulation/nis2
- simontbraun.eu/belgian-nis-2-law-cybersecurity-strengthen/2024/12/10/
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Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 7 Aug 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026