What Does the Internet Without Rules Look Like? We asked the European Commission — and Gen Z creators had something to say

Have you ever wondered what the online world would look like without any rules? How safe would we really be? In our latest campaign for the European Commission’s Representation in Croatia, we joined forces with influential digital creators to explore what the internet might feel like without EU intervention — and without the three key legislative pillars that form the regulatory framework for major digital platforms: the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

What Did the Campaign Look Like?

The goal was to make this important — but often complex — topic accessible to a younger audience by framing it through everyday situations they could actually relate to. We wanted to spark awareness about how their online rights are protected thanks to EU regulation.

To bring the message home, we partnered with three highly relevant and influential creators: Niko Čuturić, Ivan Magla, and Dario Marčac. Each tackled one of the three key EU acts in their own unique style.

• Niko Čuturić used a humorous take to explain the Digital Services Act, showing what happens when social media algorithms go unchecked and start feeding users inappropriate and potentially harmful content.

• Ivan Magla focused on the AI Act, helping his audience understand how this regulation protects us from personal data misuse and the dangers of unregulated AI.

• Dario Marčac brought the Digital Markets Act to life by illustrating a world with just one app store — and how that would severely limit our freedom to choose how we shop, communicate, and interact online.

@ko.je.niko

Znaš ono kad ti u feedu iskoči točno ono što si jučer samo pomislio? ???? Zamisli da uopće ne znaš kako algoritmi rade. Ili da nemaš nikakvu kontrolu nad time što ti iskače – samo scrollaš i nadaš se najboljem. E pa, srećom, ne moramo zamišljati takav scenarij. Zahvaljujući Aktu o digitalnim uslugama (DSA) društvene mreže i online trgovine moraju objasniti kako i zašto nam prikazuju određeni sadržaj, oglase ili preporuke. Također, možemo prilagoditi postavke, a ako ti maknu objavu ili blokiraju račun – imaš pravo na žalbu. #EU #EKHrvatska #EuropskaUnija #DSA #DigitalServiceAct #humor #sprdnja #smijesno #fora #croatia #hrvatska #balkantiktok #balkan #fyp #foryou #internet

♬ original sound – kojeNiko

In addition to the creator content, we designed complementary posts and interactive polls to drive engagement and spark conversation on the European Commission’s official channels.

The Results

All creators published their videos on Instagram and TikTok — the platforms where our target audience spends most of their time. The campaign generated over 400,000 video views and nearly 8,000 interactions, primarily organic.

These numbers reflect not just a successful campaign — but also a clear signal that the message resonated. The audience didn’t just see the content; they engaged with it. And most importantly, they walked away with a stronger understanding of how their digital rights are protected every day — often without them even realizing it.