TCOR Legal Representative Services in the EU
EDSR provides legal representative services pursuant to Article 17 of the Regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online (TCOR), applicable since 7 June 2022.
Who needs to appoint a TCOR legal representative?
Pursuant to Article 17 of the TCOR (also known as the TCO Regulation), a hosting service provider disseminating information to the public and offering services in the EU must appoint a legal representative in the EU, unless its main establishment is already located there. This applies to hosting services providers based outside the EU.
- You provide hosting services in the EU
- You don't have your main establishment in the EU
The 1-hour rule
Any identified terrorist content must be removed within one hour of receiving a removal order from a competent authority — anywhere your service reaches EU users. Robust safeguards protect freedom of expression and information throughout the process.
What EDSR does as your TCOR representative
Ready when every minute counts
EDSR receives removal orders and official communications from Member State authorities, with processes designed around TCOR's mandatory one-hour removal deadline.
From receipt to response
We immediately alert the right people in your organisation and coordinate with your team to support the efficient and timely handling of removal orders.
Brussels. Your EU point of reference.
With EDSR as your legal representative in the heart of the EU, Belgium becomes your Member State of reference under TCOR.
The cost of getting Article 17 wrong
Fines of up to 4% of global turnover
Systematic or persistent failure to comply with removal orders can result in penalties of up to 4% of global turnover for the preceding business year.
One hour means one hour
Terrorist content identified in a removal order must be removed or disabled across the EU within one hour of receiving the order.
Authorities can act across borders
Removal orders can be issued by competent authorities in any Member State, requiring your business to be ready to respond wherever the order originates.
No representative. No compliance.
If Article 17 applies to your business, appointing an EU legal representative is mandatory. Operating without one is itself a breach of TCOR.
Understanding TCOR compliance
What hosting providers ask us about Article 17 and the scope of the TCOR.
The Regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online (TCOR, also known as the TCO Regulation) tackles the misuse of hosting services for terrorist purposes. It requires identified terrorist content to be removed within one hour on platforms serving the EU, while safeguarding freedom of expression and information.
The legal representative of hosting service providers ensures effective communication with Member States' competent authorities, including receiving, complying with and enforcing removal orders and other TCOR decisions. Designating a representative confers jurisdiction on the Member State where that representative is located; absent a representative, jurisdiction lies with all Member States.
The legal representative must be designated in writing. Hosting service providers must notify the competent authority in the relevant Member State, and this information must be publicly available.
The TCOR applies to hosting service providers offering services in the Union and disseminating information to the public, irrespective of where their main establishment is located.
A hosting service provider stores information provided by, and at the request of, a content provider — a user who has supplied information stored and made available to the public. This follows the definition of 'service' in Article 1(b) of Directive (EU) 2015/1535.
Yes. Content disseminated for educational, journalistic, artistic or research purposes, or explicitly to counter terrorism — including polemical or controversial views within public debate — is not classified as terrorist content, subject to an assessment of genuine intent and alignment with these purposes.
Fines can reach up to 4% of the hosting service provider's global turnover for the preceding business year, in addition to reputational damage.
Also need a DSA representative?
EDSR covers both the DSA and the TCOR.