EUIndoPac Jean Monnet Teaching Module: Understanding the EU’s New Digital Rulebook
Welcome to our podcast series led by Professor Nicolas de Sadeleer, Full Professor of EU Law, UCLouvain, Saint Louis, Jean Monnet chair.
In this series, Sébastien Fassiaux, Visiting Professor at Esade Law School, is interviewed by Prof. de Sadeleer.
Trailer
For the past two decades, digital technologies have had an increasingly important impact on people’s lives. Regulators both in the EU and the Indo-Pacific region have often faced challenges when tackling new issues stemming from these developments, and policymakers have taken time to address them. Yet over the past five years or so, EU lawmakers have adopted an impressive set of new instruments that aim at addressing some of the most pressing concerns regarding the economy, democracy, fundamental rights, and even the infrastructures necessary to develop and operate digital technologies.
In this four-part podcast series, we explore how the European Union is reshaping the rules of the digital economy. Why did the EU decide to regulate the world’s largest online platforms? How should social media balance freedom of expression with user safety? Can artificial intelligence be regulated without stifling innovation? And why have semiconductor chips become one of the most strategic resources in today’s geopolitical landscape?
Across the series, we explain the key features of four landmark pieces of European legislation – the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, and the European Chips Act. Rather than focusing only on legal doctrine, we discuss the real-world problems these laws seek to address, how they affect businesses and citizens, and why they matter well beyond Europe, including in the Indo-Pacific region.
Whether you are a lawyer, a law student, a policymaker, or simply curious about how technology is transforming our societies, this series offers an accessible introduction to some of the most important digital regulations of our time.
Episode 1 | Taming the economic power of large online platforms with the Digital Markets Act
The first episode explores the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU’s landmark regulation aimed at the largest online platforms, known as “gatekeepers”. We discuss why a handful of digital companies have acquired such significant economic power, why traditional competition law was no longer considered sufficient, and how the DMA introduces a new ex ante approach to regulating digital markets. Through practical examples – including TikTok’s designation as a gatekeeper – we explain what the new rules require, how they are enforced, and why they have become a source of international debate.
Episode 2 | Social media regulation under the Digital Services Act
Social media has transformed the way we communicate, but it has also created new challenges ranging from illegal content and disinformation to online harms affecting children and democratic processes. In this episode, we examine the Digital Services Act (DSA), which establishes a new framework for regulating online intermediaries, including the largest social media platforms. We discuss transparency, accountability, systemic risks, freedom of expression, and the growing international debate over how best to protect users while preserving an open internet.
Episode 3 | Building safe artificial intelligence systems under the Artificial Intelligence Act
Artificial intelligence is often presented as a revolutionary technology, but how should it actually be regulated? This episode introduces the EU’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. We explain its risk-based approach, the different categories of AI systems, the obligations imposed on developers and users, and the central role of fundamental rights. We also discuss whether regulation can keep pace with technological change and compare the European approach with developments in the United States, China, South Korea, and beyond.
Episode 4 | Securing semiconductors’ supply chains with the European Chips Act
Advanced semiconductor chips have become one of the world’s most strategic technologies, powering everything from smartphones and cars to artificial intelligence. In the final episode, we examine why semiconductor supply chains have become a geopolitical priority, what Europe hopes to achieve through the European Chips Act, and how the regulation seeks to strengthen innovation, investment, and supply chain resilience. We also discuss the role of Taiwan, state aid, industrial policy, the environmental impact of digital technologies, and the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region in the global race for technological leadership.
Soundtrack features music licensed under the mobygratis agreement.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
