The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Google, Facebook, TikTok and other big tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter on-line. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe says the first phase of the European Union's groundbreaking new digital rules will take effect Friday. The Digital Services Act (DSA) is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by the 27-nation bloc designed to keep users safe on-line and stop the spread of harmful content that is either illegal or violates a platform's terms of service such as promotion of genocide or anorexia. Platforms have started rolling out new ways for European users to flag illegal on-line content and dodgy products, which companies will be obligated to take down quickly and objectively. Amazon opened a new channel for reporting suspected illegal products and is providing more information about third party merchants. TikTok gave users an "additional reporting option" for content, including advertising, that they believe is illegal. Categories such as hate speech and harassment, suicide and self-harm, misinformation or frauds and scams, will help them pinpoint the problem.