RADAR

Regulatory Assessment for Digital Service Act Risks

How to Use the RADAR Framework

What is RADAR?

RADAR (Regulatory Assessment for Digital Service Act Risks) is a standardised tagging system designed to help researchers, civil society organisations, and regulatory bodies categorise and report Digital Service Act (DSA) infringements systematically.

By using consistent tags across different reports, we can build a comprehensive picture of platform compliance issues and identify patterns across the digital ecosystem.

Video Walkthrough

New to RADAR? Watch this 2-minute video for a quick tour of the framework's key features.

In this video, you'll learn how to:

  • Navigate the framework by categories or DSA articles
  • Search for specific platform behaviours and violations
  • Identify infringements using observable behaviours
  • Generate standardised reports with the Tag Generator

💡 Tip: After watching, continue reading below for detailed step-by-step instructions and best practices.

How Does It Work?

🏷️ The Tagging System

Each potential DSA infringement has a unique ID (like cr_01). When you identify issues on a platform, you match them to these standardised tags based on observable behaviours.

🔍 Observable Behaviours

Each infringement includes specific "observables" - concrete behaviours or patterns you might witness. If you see these behaviours, it indicates a potential infringement.

📊 Community Intelligence

When multiple reports use the same tags, patterns emerge. This collective intelligence helps identify systemic issues and priority areas for enforcement.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Identify the Issue

Document what you observed on the platform. Be specific about:

  • What happened
  • When it occurred
  • Which platform features were involved
  • How users were affected

Step 2: Browse the Framework

Use RADAR to find matching infringements:

  1. Start with Categories - Find the general area (e.g., "Content-Related", "Dark Patterns")
  2. Review Infringements - Read through the specific violations in that category
  3. Check Observables - Match your observations to the listed behaviours
  4. Note the IDs - Record all relevant infringement IDs

Step 3: Create Your Report

Write your detailed analysis, including:

  • Executive summary
  • Detailed findings
  • Evidence and screenshots
  • Impact assessment

Step 4: Add RADAR Tags

Include a RADAR Tagging Annex at the end of your report with all identified infringement IDs. This standardised format enables cross-report analysis.

RADAR Tagging Annex Template

Copy this template and add it to the end of your report:

---
ANNEX: RADAR Framework Tags
Digital Service Act Infringement Analysis

Platform: [Platform Name]
Assessment Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
RADAR Version: [e.g., 1.7]

Identified Infringements:

Category: Content-Related Infringements
- cr_01: Failure to take action against Illegal Content
  * Observed: [Brief description of what you observed]
  * Evidence: [Page/Section reference in main report]

- cr_02: Misapplication of Notice-and-Action Mechanisms
  * Observed: [Brief description]
  * Evidence: [Reference]

Category: Dark Patterns
- dp_01: Obstruction
  * Observed: [Brief description]
  * Evidence: [Reference]

Total Infringements Identified: [Number]
DSA Articles Potentially Violated: [List article numbers]

---

Real-World Example

Scenario: Difficult Account Deletion

You discover that a social media platform makes it extremely difficult to delete an account - requiring multiple confirmations, waiting periods, and hiding the option deep in settings.

Your process:

  1. Document the deletion process with screenshots
  2. Search RADAR for "account deletion" or browse "Dark Patterns"
  3. Find dp_01 "Obstruction" matches your observation
  4. Include this tag in your report's annex

Result: Your report now uses standardised language that can be compared with other reports, helping identify if this is a widespread issue.

Best Practices

✅ Do:

  • Be specific about what you observed
  • Tag all relevant infringements
  • Reference evidence in your main report
  • Use the latest RADAR version
  • Include dates and platform versions

❌ Don't:

  • Force-fit observations to tags
  • Use tags without evidence
  • Modify the tag IDs
  • Skip the observable matching step
  • Forget to specify RADAR version

💡 Pro Tips

Use the Search Function: Press Ctrl+K to quickly search for specific behaviours or keywords across all infringements.
Check DSA Articles: Use the "By Article" view to see all infringements related to specific DSA articles you're investigating.
Multiple Tags Apply: One platform behaviour might violate multiple infringements. Tag all that apply for comprehensive coverage.
Version Matters: Always note which RADAR version you used, as the framework evolves with DSA interpretations and enforcement patterns.

🌐 RADAR Web Metadata

For digital reports, articles, or research published on the web, you can embed RADAR metadata directly in your HTML. This enables automated scanning, browser extensions, and aggregation tools to read your tags.

Method 1: Meta Tag (Recommended)

Add this to your HTML <head> section:

<meta name="radar-assessment" content='{"version":"1.7","platform":"Example Platform","date":"2024-12-20","categories":{"cr":["cr_01","cr_02"],"dp":["dp_01"],"icg":["icg_03"]}}'>

Method 2: JSON-LD Script Tag

For richer data, use a structured data approach:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://radar.checkfirst.network/schema.json",
  "@type": "DSAAssessment",
  "version": "1.7",
  "platform": "Example Platform",
  "assessmentDate": "2024-12-20",
  "infringements": {
	"cr": ["cr_01", "cr_02"],
	"dp": ["dp_01"],
	"icg": ["icg_03"]
  },
  "totalInfringements": 4,
  "report": "https://example.com/full-report"
}
</script>

Benefits of Web Metadata

  • Machine Readable: Automated tools can scan and aggregate RADAR tags across the web
  • Browser Extensions: Future extensions could display RADAR assessments for any webpage
  • Search Integration: Enables RADAR-aware search engines and databases
  • Verification: Links assessments directly to published reports
  • Transparency: Makes DSA compliance assessments publicly discoverable

Reading RADAR Metadata

To check if a webpage has RADAR metadata, paste this into your browser console:

// Quick check for RADAR metadata
const meta = document.querySelector('meta[name="radar-assessment"]');
if (meta) {
	console.log('RADAR Assessment Found:', JSON.parse(meta.content));
} else {
	console.log('No RADAR metadata found');
}

Quick Generator

Generate your metadata tag:

Join the Community

RADAR is a community-driven framework. By using these standardised tags, you're contributing to a collective understanding of DSA compliance across the digital landscape.

Questions or suggestions? Visit CheckFirst or contribute to the GitHub repository.

← Back to RADAR Framework