In short. DSA intermediary providers must offer an accessible user contact point with direct, rapid electronic communication and a choice beyond automated tools.
Definition: Under Article 12 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), an intermediary service provider must designate a single contact point for users to communicate directly and rapidly by electronic means. Users must have a choice of communication methods that does not rely solely on automated tools, and the contact information must be public, easily accessible and current.
Key facts
- Under DSA Article 12(1), the contact point must support user-friendly communication and allow users to choose the means of communication.
- The European Commission's DSA questions and answers gives email addresses, instant messages and chatbots as examples of user contact methods, alongside the restriction on relying solely on automation.
- The Commission's Digital Services Coordinators page explains that users can complain about a DSA infringement to the coordinator in the Member State where they are located or established.
Which providers and users does the duty cover?
The DSA is an EU regulation governing intermediary services. Under Article 3(g) of the DSA text, these include network transmission or access services, temporary caching services, and hosting services that store information at a user's request. Article 12 sits in the section applicable to all providers of intermediary services.
Article 2(1) covers intermediary services offered to recipients located or established in the EU, regardless of where the provider is established. A recipient, defined in Article 3(b), can be a natural or legal person using the service, including to seek information or make it accessible. The contact duty therefore includes business users. Article 93(2) sets the DSA's general application date at 17 February 2024.
Can the contact point use a chatbot?
Article 12(1) permits communication methods that include automation, while requiring a choice that does not rely solely on automated tools. The Commission's explanation of user contact expressly includes chatbots among possible methods and says contact must be quick and direct.
Recital 43 of the DSA explains that users should be explicitly informed when communicating with a chatbot. It also lists electronic contact forms and telephone numbers among accessible contact methods. The recital calls for reasonable efforts to allocate sufficient human and financial resources for timely, efficient communication.
What contact information must be published?
Article 12(2) requires publication of the information users need to identify and communicate with the contact point easily. The provider must keep that information accessible and up to date. These obligations apply in addition to those in the e-Commerce Directive.
The same regulation addresses communications with public authorities in Article 11. That article requires a contact point for Member States' authorities, the European Commission and the European Board for Digital Services. Article 12 expressly addresses recipients of the service and their access to the provider.
Related terms
- When can a website with user content be a hosting service under the DSA?
- What contact point must an intermediary publish for authorities?
- When must an online platform provide internal content complaints?
FAQ
Can you be offered only an automated chatbot?
Article 12(1) of the DSA requires a choice of communication means that does not rely solely on automated tools. Recital 43 also says you should be told explicitly when communicating with a chatbot.
How quickly must the provider reply?
Article 12 requires direct and rapid communication but specifies no fixed response deadline in hours or days.
Where can you complain about an inaccessible contact point?
A Digital Services Coordinator is a national authority responsible for DSA supervision and enforcement. The Commission's coordinator guidance explains that you can lodge a complaint alleging a DSA infringement with the coordinator where you are located or established.
Sources
- EUR-Lex, "Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)", 19 October 2022
- European Commission, "Digital Services Act: Questions and Answers", 19 December 2025
- European Commission, "Digital Services Coordinators", 2 October 2026
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