Information Society Directive 2015

The Information Society Directive 2015 (2015/1535) is an EU Directive that aims to define the concept of an information society service, which is relevant to regulate big tech and online media services.

Contents

Article 1(b) defines a ‘service’ as any Information Society service, that is to say, any service normally provided for remuneration, at a distance, by electronic means and at the individual request of a recipient of services. An indicative list of examples is set out in Annex I.

1. Services not provided ‘at a distance’

Services provided in the physical presence of the provider and the recipient, even if they involve the use of electronic devices: (a) medical examinations or treatment at a doctor's surgery using electronic equipment where the patient is physically present; (b) consultation of an electronic catalogue in a shop with the customer on site; (c) plane ticket reservation at a travel agency in the physical presence of the customer by means of a network of computers; (d) electronic games made available in a video arcade where the customer is physically present.

2. Services not provided ‘by electronic means’ — services having material content even though provided via electronic devices: (a) automatic cash or ticket dispensing machines (banknotes, rail tickets); (b) access to road networks, car parks, etc., charging for use, even if there are electronic devices at the entrance/exit controlling access and/or ensuring correct payment is made, — offline services: distribution of CD-ROMs or software on diskettes, — services which are not provided via electronic processing/inventory systems: (a) voice telephony services; (b) telefax/telex services; (c) services provided via voice telephony or fax; (d) telephone/telefax consultation of a doctor; (e) telephone/telefax consultation of a lawyer; (f) telephone/telefax direct marketing.

3. Services not supplied ‘at the individual request of a recipient of services’ Services provided by transmitting data without individual demand for simultaneous reception by an unlimited number of individual receivers (point to multipoint transmission): (a) television broadcasting services (including near-video on-demand services), covered by point (e) of Article 1(1) of Directive 2010/13/EU; (b) radio broadcasting services;

(c) (televised) teletext.

See also

• EU law
• UK enterprise law

References

• E McGaughey, Principles of Enterprise Law: the Economic Constitution and Human Rights (Cambridge UP 2022) ch 15