--- title: "DSA recommender transparency FAQ: Article 27 and VLOP options" canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/recommender-transparency" source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/recommender-transparency" author: "Sorena AI" description: "What EU Digital Services Act recommender transparency requires: main parameters, user options, VLOP/VLOSE non-profiling choices, and evidence to keep." published_at: "2026-05-09" updated_at: "2026-05-09" keywords: - "EU Digital Services Act" - "DSA" - "Article 27" - "Article 38" - "recommender systems" - "main parameters" - "VLOP" - "VLOSE" --- **[SORENA](https://www.sorena.io/)** - AI-Powered GRC Platform [Home](https://www.sorena.io/) | [Solutions](https://www.sorena.io/solutions) | [Artifacts](https://www.sorena.io/artifacts) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us) | [Contact](https://www.sorena.io/contact) | [Portal](https://app.sorena.io) --- # DSA recommender transparency FAQ: Article 27 and VLOP options What EU Digital Services Act recommender transparency requires: main parameters, user options, VLOP/VLOSE non-profiling choices, and evidence to keep. *FAQ* *EU DSA* ## DSA recommender transparency FAQ Article 27 requires online platforms that use recommender systems to explain the main parameters in plain terms and describe user options to modify or influence them. For designated very large online platforms and very large online search engines, Article 38 adds at least one recommender option for each system that is not based on profiling. This FAQ explains what the EU Digital Services Act expects when an online platform uses recommender systems: terms-and-conditions disclosure, in-interface choice where options exist, the extra VLOP/VLOSE non-profiling option, and the records that help show the public explanation matches the live service. ## What does DSA Article 27 require for recommender system transparency? Article 27 applies to providers of online platforms that use recommender systems. The DSA defines a recommender system as a fully or partly automated system that suggests information, prioritises it, or determines the relative order or prominence of information in the platform interface. The platform must set out, in its terms and conditions and in plain, intelligible language, the main parameters used by the recommender system and any options recipients have to modify or influence those parameters. - Identify every recommender surface: feed, search results, marketplace ordering, content suggestions, ranking modules, or other interface areas that suggest or prioritise information. - Describe the most significant criteria used to determine what information is suggested to a user. - Explain why those parameters have their relative importance; do not replace this with an unexplained formula, model name, or generic personalization statement. - List the user options that can modify or influence the main parameters, or state clearly when no such option is offered for that recommender surface. Sources for this answer: - [Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 3 defines recommender systems, and Article 27 requires plain-language disclosure of main parameters and user options in terms and conditions. ## What user controls must be available for DSA recommender choices? Article 27 distinguishes between disclosure of options and in-product functionality. If several options are available for a recommender system that determines the relative order of information, the platform must let the recipient select and modify the preferred option at any time. That control must be directly and easily accessible from the specific part of the online interface where information is being prioritised. A buried account setting is weak evidence if the ranking choice is presented somewhere else. - Map each terms-and-conditions option to the exact UI control where the recipient can select or change it. - Record whether the control changes ranking order, recommendation source, personalization settings, chronological ordering, popularity ordering, location, language, seller, or another main parameter. - Keep screenshots or product specs showing the control in the interface section where prioritised information appears. - Retest the disclosure after recommender releases, ranking-signal changes, UI redesigns, or changes to terms and conditions. Sources for this answer: - [Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 27 explains when recipient choice functionality must be directly and easily accessible in the interface where information is prioritised. - [European Commission - How the Digital Services Act enhances transparency online](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-brings-transparency?ref=sorena.io) - Commission transparency page describes DSA transparency obligations and the public terms-and-conditions database that tracks changes to platform terms. ## What extra recommender choice applies to VLOPs and VLOSEs? Article 38 adds a separate requirement for providers of very large online platforms and very large online search engines that use recommender systems. In addition to Article 27, they must provide at least one option for each recommender system that is not based on profiling under the GDPR definition referenced by the DSA. The Commission describes VLOPs and VLOSEs as platforms or search engines with equal to or higher than 45 million monthly users in the EU once designated. For those designated services, the recommender inventory should show each recommender system and the matching non-profiling option. - Confirm whether the service is designated as a VLOP or VLOSE before applying Article 38 as an extra obligation. - For each recommender system, identify the default option, any alternative options, and the option that is not based on profiling. - Check that the non-profiling choice is not limited to one surface if multiple recommender systems are used. - Keep product and legal sign-off that the option described as non-profiling is implemented consistently in the live ranking service. Sources for this answer: - [Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Article 38 adds the non-profiling recommender option for VLOPs and VLOSEs that use recommender systems. - [European Commission - DSA: Very large online platforms and search engines](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-vlops?ref=sorena.io) - Commission VLOP/VLOSE overview states the 45 million EU monthly user threshold and lists enhanced obligations, including non-profiling recommender options. ## What evidence should teams keep for DSA recommender transparency? Keep enough evidence to prove that the public disclosure, the live user interface, and the recommender implementation describe the same system. This is especially important for VLOPs and VLOSEs because DSA risk assessment, mitigation, audit, and data-access provisions can require explanations of algorithmic-system design, logic, functioning, and testing. The evidence record should avoid invented scoring formulas. Use the real product documentation: criteria that matter most, reasons those criteria matter, UI choices available to recipients, and release records showing when the disclosure changed. - Recommender inventory with surface name, owner, recipient group, ranking objective, main criteria, and whether the surface determines relative order or prominence. - Terms-and-conditions extract showing the Article 27 main-parameter explanation and the options to modify or influence those parameters. - UI screenshots, design specs, or QA evidence showing where each choice is directly available to recipients. - For VLOPs and VLOSEs, evidence for the Article 38 non-profiling option for each recommender system and testing records for algorithmic changes. - Change log tying recommender releases, terms updates, and interface changes to legal, product, and data-science review. Sources for this answer: - [Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Articles 34, 35, 38, 40, and 44 connect VLOP/VLOSE recommender systems to risk assessment, mitigation, data access, and choice-interface scrutiny. - [European Commission - How the Digital Services Act enhances transparency online](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-brings-transparency?ref=sorena.io) - Commission transparency page describes transparency reports, risk assessment and audit reports, and official reporting channels for VLOP/VLOSE practices including recommender systems. ## Primary sources - [Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Primary legal source for the definition of recommender systems, Article 27 main-parameter disclosures, Article 38 VLOP/VLOSE non-profiling options, and algorithmic-system scrutiny provisions. - Quote: "Recommender system transparency" - [European Commission - DSA: Very large online platforms and search engines](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-vlops?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview for VLOP/VLOSE designation threshold and enhanced obligations, including the non-profiling recommender option. - Quote: "most stringent rules" - [European Commission - How the Digital Services Act enhances transparency online](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-brings-transparency?ref=sorena.io) - Commission transparency overview for DSA reporting, terms-and-conditions transparency, risk assessment and audit report context. - Quote: "transparency and accountability" ## Topic Guides - [DSA Ads and Recommender Systems: transparency duties, user choice, and evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/ads-and-recommender-systems.md): A grounded DSA guide to ad labels, targeting restrictions, recommender parameter disclosure, non-profiling options for VLOPs and VLOSEs, ad repositories, and compliance evidence. - [DSA Applicability Test: classify intermediary services, platforms, marketplaces, VLOPs and VLOSEs](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/applicability-test.md): A source-grounded EU Digital Services Act applicability test for classifying intermediary services, hosting services, online platforms, marketplaces, VLOPs and VLOSEs. - [DSA Article 28 minors protection guide for online platforms](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/minors-protection.md): EU Digital Services Act guide to Article 28 minors protection: platform scope, child-safety measures, targeted ads limits, recommender controls, and grounded evidence. - [DSA average monthly active recipients: what platforms must publish](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/average-monthly-active-recipients.md): A grounded FAQ on average monthly active recipients under the EU Digital Services Act, including publication, EU recipient scope, the 45 million VLOP/VLOSE threshold, and evidence records. - [DSA Complaint and Dispute Workflows for Online Platforms](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/complaint-and-dispute-workflows.md): Build DSA complaint, appeal, statement-of-reasons, and out-of-court dispute workflows for online platform moderation decisions. - [DSA crisis response for VLOPs and VLOSEs](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/crisis-response.md): EU Digital Services Act crisis response guide for VLOPs and VLOSEs: Article 36 Commission decisions, Article 48 crisis protocols, mitigation, governance, requests for information, and records. - [DSA Dark Patterns: interface design checks for online platforms](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dark-patterns.md): Article 25 DSA guidance for reviewing online platform interfaces for deceptive, manipulative, or choice-distorting design patterns. - [DSA Enforcement and Penalties in the EU](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/enforcement-penalties-and-investigations.md): How Digital Services Act enforcement works: Commission and Digital Services Coordinator roles, VLOP and VLOSE investigations, fines, periodic penalty payments, and evidence readiness. - [DSA illegal content notices: what must be included?](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/illegal-content-notice.md): A grounded FAQ on EU Digital Services Act illegal-content notices: Article 16 notice elements, acknowledgement, decision notices, trusted flagger priority, statements of reasons, and records. - [DSA Marketplace Trader Traceability FAQ](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/marketplace-trader-traceability.md): Answer to what EU Digital Services Act Article 30 requires online marketplaces to collect, verify, display, retain, and evidence for trader traceability. - [DSA Marketplace Trader Traceability Guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/marketplace-trader-traceability.md): EU Digital Services Act guide for online marketplaces collecting, checking, displaying, storing, and evidencing trader traceability information. - [DSA notice and action plus statements of reasons guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/notice-and-action-plus-statements-of-reasons.md): A grounded Digital Services Act guide for notice intake, moderation decisions, statements of reasons, DSA Transparency Database submission, complaints, appeals, trusted flaggers, and records. - [DSA Notice and Action Workflow for Hosting Services and Online Platforms](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/notice-and-action-workflow.md): A grounded DSA notice-and-action workflow covering notice intake, completeness checks, trusted flaggers, decisions, user communications, statements of reasons, appeals, and records. - [DSA researcher data access for VLOPs and VLOSEs](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/researcher-data-access.md): Article 40 DSA guide to vetted researcher data access for VLOPs and VLOSEs: DSC requests, eligibility checks, amendment grounds, confidentiality, security, and evidence records. - [DSA service tier classifier for platforms, marketplaces, VLOPs and VLOSEs](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/service-tier-classifier-workflow.md): Classify a digital service under the EU Digital Services Act as intermediary, hosting, online platform, marketplace, VLOP or VLOSE, with EU recipient-count evidence and obligation outputs. - [DSA statement of reasons FAQ](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/statement-of-reasons.md): When DSA statements of reasons are required, what they must contain, when online platforms submit them to the DSA Transparency Database, and what appeal records to keep. - [DSA statement of reasons log workflow for online platforms](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/statement-of-reasons-log-workflow.md): Build a DSA statement of reasons log for moderation decisions, Transparency Database submission, complaint links, retention, and QA controls. - [DSA transparency report template fields and cadence](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-transparency-report-template.md): A source-grounded template outline for Digital Services Act transparency reports, covering applicable service tiers, reporting periods, CSV/XLSX format, retention, statement-of-reasons links, and required evidence tables. - [DSA Transparency Reporting Obligations by Provider Tier](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/transparency-reporting.md): A grounded guide to EU Digital Services Act transparency reports, active-recipient publication, statements-of-reasons submissions, VLOP/VLOSE reports, templates, cadence, and evidence. - [DSA VLOP and VLOSE Risk Assessments and Mitigation Guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/risk-assessments-and-mitigation.md): Grounded guide to Digital Services Act systemic risk assessments, mitigation measures, audits, transparency reports, data access, and governance evidence for VLOPs and VLOSEs. - [DSA VLOP Audit Pack Workflow: Risk, Mitigation, Audit, and Transparency Records](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/vlop-audit-pack-workflow.md): Build a DSA VLOP or VLOSE audit pack covering Article 34 risk assessments, Article 35 mitigations, independent-audit evidence, transparency reports, data access, and compliance governance. - [DSA VLOP Risk Assessment FAQ: Article 34, Mitigation, Audits](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/vlop-risk-assessment.md): What VLOPs and VLOSEs must assess under the EU Digital Services Act, when to reassess, how Article 35 mitigation and annual audit evidence fit together, and what records to keep. - [DSA vs DMA Platform Rules](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-vs-dma.md): Compare the EU Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act by scope, designation thresholds, obligations, enforcement, evidence, and practical team ownership. - [DSA vs GDPR: online-platform governance and personal-data obligations](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-vs-gdpr.md): Compare the EU Digital Services Act and EU GDPR by scope, ads, recommenders, minors, transparency, complaints, enforcement, and evidence. - [DSA vs P2B Regulation: EU platform obligations compared](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-vs-p2b.md): Compare the EU Digital Services Act with the Platform-to-Business Regulation for platform scope, business-user terms, content moderation, ranking transparency, complaints, enforcement, and evidence. - [DSA vs Terrorist Content Online Regulation: notice-and-action vs removal orders](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-vs-terrorist-content-online-regulation.md): Compare DSA content-governance duties with the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation removal-order workflow for scope, timing, evidence, authorities, and team ownership. - [EU Digital Services Act checklist for platforms and hosting services](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/checklist.md): A grounded DSA checklist for classifying service tiers, notice-and-action, statements of reasons, complaints, transparency reports, ads, recommenders, trader traceability, VLOP/VLOSE duties, and evidence records. - [EU Digital Services Act Compliance Guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/compliance.md): DSA compliance guide for intermediary services, hosting providers, online platforms, marketplaces, and VLOP/VLOSE teams: obligations, controls, and evidence to keep. - [EU Digital Services Act FAQ: DSA scope, platform duties, VLOPs, reports, and penalties](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq.md): Concise EU Digital Services Act FAQ covering intermediary-service scope, active-recipient thresholds, illegal-content notices, statements of reasons, trader traceability, recommender transparency, systemic-risk duties, reporting, penalties, and complaints. - [EU Digital Services Act penalties and fines: caps and enforcement roles](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/penalties-and-fines.md): DSA penalty caps and enforcement roles: Member State fines, Commission fines for VLOPs and VLOSEs, 1% procedural fines, and 5% periodic penalty payments. - [EU Digital Services Act requirements by service tier](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/requirements.md): Overview of DSA obligations for intermediary services, hosting providers, online platforms, marketplaces, VLOPs and VLOSEs, including notices, complaints, ads, transparency reports, audits, data access and enforcement. - [EU Digital Services Act service types and scope](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/service-types-and-scope.md): Classify DSA service scope across mere conduit, caching, hosting, online platforms, marketplaces, online search engines, and VLOP/VLOSE threshold duties. - [EU DSA deadlines and compliance calendar: application dates, reporting cycles, and VLOP clocks](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Calendar view of grounded EU Digital Services Act dates: full application, user-number publication, VLOP/VLOSE designation clocks, statements of reasons, and transparency reporting cycles. - [EU DSA Transparency Calendar: reporting, SoR database, AMAR updates](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/transparency-calendar.md): Build a DSA transparency calendar for annual reports, statement-of-reasons database submissions, active-recipient updates, and VLOP/VLOSE audit touchpoints. - [EU DSA vs UK Online Safety Act: scope, duties, regulator, and evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/dsa-vs-uk-online-safety-act.md): Compare the EU Digital Services Act and UK Online Safety Act for platform scope, risk assessments, child protection, transparency, regulators, enforcement, and owners. *Recommended next step* *Placement: before sources* ## Turn Article 27 and Article 38 checks into a repeatable review Sorena can help product, legal, trust and safety, and data science teams compare recommender disclosures, UI choices, release records, and VLOP/VLOSE evidence against the cited DSA sources. - [Open Research Copilot for EU Digital Services Act](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Ask source-linked questions about DSA recommender disclosures, VLOP/VLOSE obligations, and evidence records using the cited sources on this page. - [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review your Article 27 disclosure, Article 38 non-profiling option, and recommender-system evidence with Sorena. --- [Privacy Policy](https://www.sorena.io/privacy) | [Terms of Use](https://www.sorena.io/terms-of-use) | [DMCA](https://www.sorena.io/dmca) | [About Us](https://www.sorena.io/about-us) (c) 2026 Sorena AB (559573-7338). All rights reserved. Source: https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/digital-services-act/faq/recommender-transparency