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 in their digital services. This section provides information on the requirements of the Act and the kind of actors that are obliged under the Act. In addition, you can find information on other legislation that provides guidance in accessibility matters.

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.

Amendments have been made to the Act on the Provision of Digital Services, bringing new services and actors within the scope of the accessibility requirements of the Act. Some service-specific additional requirements have also been added to the Act concerning the services within the scope of the Act.

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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Since the Act on the Provision of Digital Services entered into force in 2019 the provisions of the Act are already largely applied to the digital services within the scope of the law.

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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