The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a new law in the European Union that aims to create a safer and more accountable online environment. Here, we share our current assessment of how the DSA applies to the Socrative platform.

Socrative allows users to organize, upload, and download digital content—such as quiz questions and multi-media content—within our platform. Under the DSA, services that store content provided by users qualify as "hosting services" (intermediary services). This means we have certain responsibilities to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of users' rights.

However, the DSA introduces an additional category known as "online platforms," which are subject to extra requirements. An online platform not only stores information but also disseminates it to the public, making the content available to a potentially unlimited number of people. Socrative allows teachers to share quizzes and other resources with students and colleagues. Access for students is controlled through individual accounts or unique access codes provided by teachers. This setup ensures that content remains limited to specific groups rather than being made available to the general public.

While teachers can share quizzes with other educators, this functionality is considered a minor feature aimed at enhancing classroom instruction. Sharing quizzes between registered Socrative teachers is not the same as making them publicly accessible. Therefore, we currently assess that Socrative does not qualify as an "online platform" under the DSA, although future interpretations by authorities could affect this view.

In line with the requirements for hosting services under the DSA, we have devised a Content Moderation Policy which meets the requirements of the DSA, as well as identifies the appropriate internal contacts for both users and authorities to communicate with Showbie Inc. We are committed to providing an annual report of any content removed from the Socrative platform under the DSA if and when such reports are made in the future. Those reports will be available on this page.

If you have any questions or concerns about how the DSA may affect your use of Socrative, please reach out to privacy@socrative.com.