The rules below apply identically to every notification and every notifier, whatever the mode of submission, manual or automated. They bear exclusively on the quality and accuracy of the notifications received, to the exclusion of any consideration relating to the identity or nature of their author.
1. Admissibility. A notification is processed provided it contains the elements of Article 16(2) DSA. Failing that, it receives a reasoned rejection decision specifying the missing elements and inviting resubmission. The ability to resubmit a compliant notification is never suspended.
2. Individual mapping. Each URL must be mapped to the work or content concerned. An unmapped list does not allow the unlawfulness to be identified without a detailed examination (Art. 16(3) DSA).
3. Volume. A notification may not target more than 25 URLs, to guarantee individualised examination. Excess URLs must be split across several submissions.
4. Prior verification. It is for the notifier to verify the accuracy and currency of each report before submission. Duplicates, non-existent URLs, already-removed links and unverified reports are counted under point 7.
5. Individualised examination — no automatic removal. No removal is carried out on the strength of a notification alone. This safeguard protects users' rights, whose lawful content cannot be disabled on mere denunciation, and prevents any excessive removal of content that is not manifestly unlawful.
6. Rate limiting. The number of submissions per period is limited uniformly. No notification is set aside on account of its origin or mode of transmission.
7. Manifestly unfounded notifications. The frequent submission of manifestly unfounded or inaccurate notifications gives rise to a reasoned warning and, on persistence, to the temporary suspension of the processing of notifications from the same author. The suspension ends upon evidence of compliance.
8. Misuse of the mechanism. The mechanism's sole purpose is the reporting of unlawful content. Any use pursuing another aim — procuring the removal of lawful content, saturating the system, impairing the operation of the service — constitutes misuse and gives rise to the measures under point 7, without prejudice to legal proceedings.
9. Notifier's liability. A notification is made at its author's own risk. Any notification based on inaccurate or distorted information engages the author's civil liability (Art. 1240 of the Civil Code), including on the ground of unfair competition or disparagement where it emanates from a competitor, without prejudice to the applicable criminal penalties.
10. Retention and traceability. Each notification is time-stamped and retained, together with the technical elements relating to its transmission, for the purposes of evidence, complaint handling and the characterisation of abuse.
11. Rights of the affected user. A user whose content is disabled receives a statement of reasons (Art. 17 DSA) and may contest the measure.
12. No obligation to investigate. In accordance with Article 8 DSA, no general obligation of monitoring or of active fact-finding lies with the service.