The requirements of the Act on the Provision of Digital Services

The Act on the Provision of Digital Services obliges the public sector and some private and third sector organisations to comply with accessibility requirements. This section provides information on the requirements of the Act and the kind of actors that are obliged under the Act.

The Act on the Provision of Digital Services mainly obliges organisations acting as authorities to make their online services, i.e. websites and mobile applications, compliant with accessibility requirements. In addition to the authorities, the accessibility requirements apply to institutions governed by public law  and some organisations . Accessibility requirements may also apply to online services of some organisations on the basis of a special grant . In addition, some of the private sector belongs to the scope of the accessibility requirements.

The legal requirements apply very extensively to the content and functionalities of websites and mobile applications. The law covers a wide range of websites and applications, including those primarily targeted at experts.

The Act on the Provision of Digital Services includes service-specific additional requirements and obligations for certain services. The additional requirements and obligations apply to the following digital services intended for consumers: e-commerce services, e-books, certain passenger transport and banking services, services providing access to audiovisual content and communication services.

New accessibility requirements for digital services will apply from 28 June 2025. It is important for service providers to be aware of their legal obligation to notify the supervisory authority if their service does not meet the applicable accessibility requirements or if the provider invokes grounds for derogation.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guideline) is guideline developed and maintained by international World Wide Web -consortium (W3C). It is used as a basis for accessibility requirements in many countries.

The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an international guideline on the accessibility of online content.

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Under Chapter 3a of the Act on the Provision of Digital Services, digital services intended for consumers, i.e. e-commerce, e-books, certain passenger transport and banking services, services providing access to audiovisual content and communication services must comply with the accessibility requirements and service-specific additional requirements.

Each organisation subject to the accessibility requirements of the Act must prepare an accessibility statement for its websites and mobile applications and publish the statement on its website.

Read about FAQ - accessibility statement

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