This text was published by EDMO Ireland, one of fifteen EDMO Hubs.

As part of EDMO Ireland’s ongoing review of platform compliance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) during Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election, we are sharing our initial observations of several concerning trends in how online platforms have addressed electoral integrity.

The DSA is the EU’s framework for regulating online platforms. It requires very large platforms to identify and mitigate systemic risks, including risks to electoral integrity. As such, platforms are expected to implement effective measures, enforce their own policies, and demonstrate transparency in how they manage harmful content and behaviour during elections.

Across platforms, we continue to see a largely reactive rather than proactive approach to safeguarding electoral integrity. This reactive model relies heavily on the voluntary efforts of researchers, fact-checkers, and civil society organisations, rather than on sustained, systematic action by the platforms themselves.