This article contributes to ongoing debates on platform regulation by governments and other political authorities (especially the EU as a transnational legislator) and discussions about the shape of online publics. By applying a discourse analytical perspective, key legitimation narratives can be explored. I argue that the EU claims political authority over corporate interests by introducing new legislation to regulate social media platforms with the Digital Services Act. On the one hand, the EU imagines an idealized democratic online public without harmful and illegal content. On the other hand, the new legislation serves the EU’s agenda on digital sovereignty, taking back control from big and US-based enterprises.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/6735Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Post navigation Consolidating Strategies for Countering Hate Speech Using Persuasive Dialogues (arXiv) The Platformization of Violence: Toward a Concept of Discursive Toxicity on Social Media (Social Media + Society)