Rethinking moral responsibility in the age of digital platforms: Ethics, technology, and the European regulatory framework

Beginning with an examination of the underlying assumptions and conceptual challenges confronting ethical discourse in contemporary society, this paper proposes a possible ethical framework suited to the digital age. It critically assesses the axiological orientation underpinning recent European regulatory efforts, with a particular focus on the Digital Services Act (DSA), Regulation (EU) No. 2022/2065, which emphasises moral responsibility as ethical formation and normative guidance. The EU legislature opted to regulate the process for making content moderation decisions rather than define contractual rules concerning content or permitted behaviour. This can be viewed as a sort of gentle nudge towards ethically desirable behaviour. Although the flexibility of procedural ethics can respond effectively to the demands posed by technological development, especially in the field of AI, the call for an ethics of co-responsibility must suggest deep reflection on the principles and values that constitute the moral community and the cultivation of reasonable thinking.