"Europe’s approach to platform regulation is uniquely rooted in its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. To defend these principles and safeguard its digital sovereignty, the EU must assert the user rights enshrined in its legislation—resisting both the ... financial interests of platform providers and transatlantic political pressure. In his legal expert opinion, Prof. Denga emphasises that this is not merely a political choice but a legal obligation, comparable to the EU Commission’s duty to enforce competition law. He argues that legislators must fully implement the Digital Services Act (DSA), as “pursuing effective European digital sovereignty requires a significant reduction in the discretion of the commissioned authorities, which may oblige to intervene into business models.” While the DSA provides a robust legal foundation, its success depends on moving beyond compliance alone. A holistic Safety by Design (SbD) approach is essential to address systemic risks that the DSA alone cannot fully mitigate. To support regulators in this transition, we have developed a three-step programme that operationalises SbD, ensuring that Europe’s digital infrastructure aligns with its core values and sets a global standard for responsible social media platform governance. Step 1: Resolute Enforcement of Existing Rules [...] Step 2: Introduction of Actionable Safety Standards [...] Step 3: Decentralisation of the Social Media Infrastructure [...]" (Recommendations for policymakers, pages 13-15) more