Online safety & content laws in Portugal (2026)
Online safety rules in Portugal: comprehensive law.
As an EU member state, Portugal applies the directly-effective EU Digital Services Act (DSA) as its comprehensive online-content and platform-safety regime, and on 15 April 2026 enacted national implementing Law No. 12-A/2026 establishing supervision, enforcement and sanctions. ANACOM serves as the Digital Services Coordinator and single point of contact, with ERC, IGAC and CNPD holding sectoral competences. A separate bill restricting social-media access for under-16s passed a first parliamentary reading in February 2026 but is not yet final law.
Legal framework
EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), implemented nationally by Law No. 12-A/2026 of 15 April 2026; ANACOM is the competent authority and Digital Services Coordinator.
The Digital Services Act in Portugal
In Portugal, 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 Portugal, 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 Portugal; the national Digital Services Coordinator handles day-to-day supervision.
Key points: internet & online safety in Portugal
EU DSA as baseline regime
The DSA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065) applies directly in Portugal, imposing tiered due-diligence, notice-and-action, transparency and risk-mitigation duties on intermediary services, online platforms and VLOPs/VLOSEs, layered over the e-Commerce liability framework (mere conduit, caching, hosting).
National implementing law
ANACOM as Digital Services Coordinator
ANACOM (the national communications regulator) is designated both competent administrative authority and Digital Services Coordinator, acting as single point of contact for the European Commission, the European Board for Digital Services and other Member States' DSCs, and handling platform identification, supervision and complaints.
Multi-authority enforcement and fines
Alongside ANACOM, ERC oversees protection of minors and advertising rules, IGAC handles copyright/related rights, and CNPD covers prohibitions on profiling-based and minor-targeted advertising; breaches can attract DSA-level fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover.
Age verification / under-16 social media bill (proposed)
A PSD bill setting a digital minimum age of 16 for autonomous social-media use (ban under 13; verified parental consent for 13-16 via the Chave Móvel Digital) passed a first parliamentary reading on 12 February 2026 but remains in committee stage and is not yet enacted; oversight would fall to ANACOM and CNPD.
Platform liability and content moderation
Liability follows the DSA's harmonised conditional-immunity model for intermediaries plus mandatory notice-and-action, statement-of-reasons, internal complaint handling and out-of-court dispute settlement; the EU's age-verification blueprint (feature-ready 15 April 2026) is available for national customisation.
The Digital Services Act in Portugal: FAQ
Does the Digital Services Act apply in Portugal?
Yes. As an EU member, Portugal is covered by the EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), which applies directly.
What does the DSA require of platforms in Portugal?
Notice-and-action mechanisms for illegal content, transparency reporting, clear terms of service, and measures to protect minors.
Who enforces the DSA in Portugal?
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 Portugal?
Up to 6% of a provider's global annual turnover for serious breaches.
Timeline of decisions
- LawLaw 12-A/2026: Portugal enacts DSA implementing law
Portugal published Law 12-A/2026 in the Diário da República, formally establishing the national framework for supervising and enforcing the EU Digital Services Act. ANACOM is confirmed as Digital Services Coordinator with power to impose fines up to 6% of global turnover; the media regulator ERC handles minor-protection and advertising provisions.
Abreu Advogados / Diário da República
- EnforcementCommission opens infringement procedure against Portugal for DSA gaps
The European Commission sent Portugal a letter of formal notice under the DSA infringement procedure, noting that while ANACOM had been designated as DSC by Decree-Law 20-B/2024, it had not been granted the enforcement powers or sanctions regime required by EU law.
PLMJ Law Firm
- Law · officialEU Digital Services Act enters full force for all intermediary services in Portugal
From 17 February 2024, the DSA obligations applied to all intermediary service providers in Portugal (not just VLOPs/VLOSEs), making platforms, hosting services, and online marketplaces subject to transparency, notice-and-action, and user-protection requirements directly enforceable by ANACOM.
ANACOM Consumer Portal
- Decision · officialDecree-Law 20-B/2024: ANACOM designated as Digital Services Coordinator
Portugal designated ANACOM as its Digital Services Coordinator under the DSA by Decree-Law 20-B/2024, meeting the formal designation deadline of 17 February 2024. However, the decree did not yet confer the full enforcement and sanctioning powers required, triggering the subsequent Commission infringement action.
ANACOM
- DecisionVoluntary MOU on copyright blocking: ISPs agree to block pirate sites without court orders
Rights-holder associations, IGAC, Portuguese Consumer Directorate-General, and telecom operators signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling the administrative blocking of copyright-infringing websites (via MAPINET) without requiring individual court orders. This institutionalised content blocking in Portugal and set a precedent for subsequent online content enforcement.
European Digital Rights (EDRi)
Sources
- anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=431204
- anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1774002&languageId=1
- plmj.com/en/knowledge/informative-notes/Digital-Services-Act-Implementing-Law-
- mlgts.pt/pt/conhecimento/legal-alerts/Legal-Alert-Execucao-do-Regulamento-dos-
- digitalsociety.eui.eu/publication/digital-services-act-governance-in-portugal/
- euronews.com/next/2026/02/13/portugal-green-lights-restrictions-for-social-media-a
- digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-age-verification
- biometricupdate.com/202602/portugal-bringing-in-age-checks-to-restrict-social-media-for-t
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Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 23 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026