Skip to main content

AVMSD

Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Directive 2010/13/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/1808)

EU directive setting baseline safety and minor-protection duties for audiovisual media services and video-sharing platform services, including measures to protect minors from harmful content.

Jurisdiction

European Union

Enacted

Mar 10, 2010

Effective

May 5, 2010

Enforcement

National audiovisual regulators (varies by member state); European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) coordinates; European Commission pursues infringement proceedings

EUR-Lex (consolidated)

Why It Matters

Even with DSA, AVMSD remains a practical enforcement hook for minors' harmful-content exposure duties in EU markets.

At a Glance

Applies to

Social PlatformOnline PlatformVideo Generator

Harms addressed

Who Must Comply

  • Audiovisual media services
  • Video-sharing platform services (scope as transposed nationally)

Safety Provisions

  • Measures to protect minors on video-sharing platform services
  • Governance expectations that complement DSA (especially for "video + community" products)
  • Age verification and parental control requirements for harmful content

Compliance & Enforcement

Penalties

Penalties vary by jurisdiction

View on map

European Union

Focus Areas

Mental health & crisis
Child safety
Active safeguards required

Cite This

APA

European Union. (2010). Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Directive 2010/13/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/1808).

Related Regulations

In Effect EU

TCO Regulation

Requires hosting services to remove terrorist content within one hour of receiving a removal order. One of few regulations with real-time moderation mandates.

In Effect EU

DSA

Comprehensive platform regulation with tiered obligations. VLOPs (45M+ EU users) face systemic risk assessments, algorithmic transparency, and independent audits.

In Effect FR

FR SREN

France's 2024 "digital space" law strengthening national digital regulation and enforcement levers via ARCOM across platform safety and integrity issues.

In Effect MX

MX Safe Digital Environments Decree

Mexican presidential decree, binding nationwide, that prohibits digital platforms from giving children and adolescents access to, exposure to or recommendations of seven listed content categories, including suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, and requires age assurance beyond self-declaration, parental supervision tools, strictest-by-default settings for new accounts, periodic risk assessments and a 24/7 law-enforcement contact point.

In Effect FI

Finland AI Act

Finland's EU AI Act implementation using decentralized supervision model. Traficom serves as single point of contact and coordination authority. Ten market surveillance authorities share enforcement across sectors. New Sanctions Board handles fines over EUR 100,000.

In Effect HU

Hungary AI Act

Hungary's comprehensive AI law implementing the EU AI Act. Designates the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) as the primary supervisory authority, with sectoral regulators for specific domains.

Last updated January 23, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.