In short. An intermediary must publish accessible, current information for a single electronic authority contact and specify the languages available under DSA Article 11.
Definition: Article 11 of the Digital Services Act (DSA) requires an intermediary service provider to designate a single contact point for direct electronic communication with EU Member States' authorities, the European Commission and the European Board for Digital Services. The provider must publish easily accessible, current information identifying that contact and the languages available for communication.
Key facts
- The DSA on EUR-Lex, Article 11(2), requires public information that makes the contact point easy to identify and reach, and requires that information to remain up to date.
- The European Commission's application announcement identifies 17 February 2024 as the DSA's general application date for online intermediaries in the EU.
- As of 17 October 2026, Verisign's EEA regulatory information names Simmons & Simmons LLP in the Netherlands as its authority contact and specifies English or Dutch for communications.
Which services have this obligation?
An intermediary service transmits information, temporarily stores it to make onward transmission more efficient, or stores information at a user's request. These are the categories defined in Article 3(g) of the DSA as mere conduit, caching and hosting services.
Article 11 sits in the section applicable to all intermediary service providers. Article 2(1) covers intermediary services offered to recipients established or located in the EU, irrespective of where the provider is established. A hosting provider's authority contact obligation therefore follows from its intermediary service role; Article 11 contains no business-size exemption.
What information and languages must be published?
Under Article 11(2) of the DSA, the published information must allow the single contact point to be easily identified and contacted. It must be easily accessible and kept up to date.
Article 11(3) requires the information to specify the official EU language or languages available for communication, in addition to a language broadly understood by the largest possible number of EU citizens. The selection must include at least one official language of the Member State where the provider has its main establishment or where its legal representative resides or is established.
Recital 42 explains that the electronic contact serves operational purposes and need not have a physical location. It also calls for publication and updating of the communication languages and allows the same contact point to serve requirements under other EU laws.
What does a published authority contact look like?
Verisign's regulatory page identifies its designated contact as acting for VeriSign, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Alongside the contact's identity and postal information, it publishes this authority email address:
verisign-dsa-authority@simmons-simmons.com
The page specifies English or Dutch for Article 11 communications. It separately publishes an email address for recipients of services under Article 12. This is a provider's published implementation; the statutory publication requirements come from Article 11.
How does this relate to user support and legal representation?
Article 12 of the DSA requires a contact point for recipients of the service, enabling direct and rapid electronic communication and a choice of means that do not rely solely on automated tools.
Article 13 requires providers without an EU establishment that offer services in the EU to designate a legal representative in an EU Member State where they offer services. Recital 44 permits that representative also to function as a contact point when the relevant requirements are met.
Related terms
- When can a website with user content be a hosting service under the DSA?
- What support contact must a DSA intermediary offer users?
FAQ
Must you publish the communication languages?
Yes. Article 11(3) of the DSA makes the language information part of the public contact information required by Article 11(2).
Must your electronic contact point have a physical office?
Recital 42 says the electronic point of contact need not have a physical location. Article 13 separately governs legal representatives for providers without an EU establishment.
Can your legal representative also handle authority communications?
Yes. Recital 44 permits a legal representative to function as a contact point, provided the relevant DSA requirements are met.
Sources
- EUR-Lex, "Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)", 19 October 2022
- European Commission, "Digital Services Act starts applying to all online platforms in the EU", 16 February 2024
- Verisign, "EEA Regulatory Matters and Enquiries", undated
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