EU law in the field of online services and products

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the legal regulation of online services and digital products in the European Union in the context of rapid digitalization of social and economic relations. The relevance of the study is caused by the growing impact of digital platforms on the exercise of users’ fundamental rights, the functioning of the EU internal market, and the formation of the new models of liability for participants in the digital economy. The paper examines the evolution of the EU’s approaches to regulating the digital environment—from the E-Commerce Directive to modern regulations that form a coherent and proactive regulatory framework. The purpose of the article is to identify and characterize the main legal acts of the European Union governing the provision of online services and digital products, as well as to determine their role in ensuring a balance between innovative development, economic freedom, and the protection of fundamental rights. Particular attention is paid to the Digital Services Act, which introduces uniform rules on liability, transparency, and due conduct for providers of digital services, especially large online platforms. The significance of the ePrivacy Directive, the Open Data Directive, and the Data Act Regulation in shaping the legal foundations for personal data protection, access to information, and fair data use is analyzed. Special attention is also given to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which for the first time at the supranational level introduces a risk-based model for regulating AI systems and is aimed at protecting fundamental human rights. It is established that the contemporary EU digital legislation is characterized by a shift towards a comprehensive, multi-level, and proactive model of regulation of online services and digital products. It is concluded that the adoption of the Digital Services Regulation has laid down uniform rules on liability and transparency for providers of digital services, in particular for large online platforms, while a key role in shaping the EU digital legal order is played by acts in the fields of personal data protection, open data, and access to data, which are aimed at ensuring a balance between innovative development and the protection of fundamental rights. The analysis presented in the article may be used in academic research, legislative activity, and in the process of harmonizing national legislation with the law of the European Union.