When publishing an ad for a second-hand sofa or an apartment for rent, one expects the mechanics to be well-established: photo, description, price, publication. The foundation hasn’t changed, but the rules of the game surrounding classified ad platforms have shifted on several fronts in recent months, including European regulatory frameworks, new browsing habits, and the repositioning of market players.
Digital Services Act: what the DSA concretely changes for classified ad sites
The regulatory layer governing platforms has evolved significantly, and its effects are now impacting classified ad sites on a daily basis.
Since February 17, 2024, the Digital Services Act (DSA) applies to all intermediary services that publicly disseminate user-provided content. Classified ad sites, regardless of their size, fall within this scope. The historical mechanism of the LCEN for the notification and handling of illegal content has been replaced by Article 16 of the DSA.
In France, oversight is now tripartite: Arcom for coordination, CNIL for advertising profiling, and DGCCRF for interfaces and marketplaces. Sanctions can reach up to 6% of global revenue in case of non-compliance. Following the news on Annonces Tout Net, we see that this regulatory pressure affects both giants like Leboncoin and mid-sized generalist platforms.
What this means on a daily basis for a seller or buyer: platforms are required to offer more accessible reporting mechanisms, to handle complaints within set timeframes, and to make their moderation conditions transparent. We are no longer navigating quite the same environment as we were two years ago.
Real estate classifieds: new constraints on tourist rentals
The real estate segment of classified ads is the one undergoing the most regulatory transformations alongside the DSA. Publishing an ad for a tourist rental is no longer just about writing an attractive text with beautiful photos.
The mandatory registration of tourist rentals changes the game for landlords, especially in tight areas. Several major French cities now require a registration number to be visibly included in the ad. Without this number, publication may be refused or removed by the platform.
The consequences for users of peer-to-peer ad sites are direct:
- A seasonal rental ad must display the registration number issued by the town hall, under penalty of sanctions for the landlord and for the platform hosting the ad.
- Platforms must verify the presence of this number before publication, which extends the time frame for going online in certain cities.
- Non-compliant ads are removed, sometimes without notice, pushing landlords to turn to specialized sites or local platforms offering assistance in compliance.
This tightening indirectly benefits generalist classified ad sites that invest in document verification. Ads gain in reliability, and potential tenants have an additional trust filter.
SMEs and micro-enterprises on ad platforms: a visibility paradox
One might expect that the rise of marketplaces and ad sites would mechanically benefit small businesses. Feedback on this point varies.
The Afnic barometer “Succeeding with the web” (2025 edition) highlights a declining trend in the online presence of micro-enterprises and SMEs. The share of these businesses claiming to have a website has significantly decreased compared to the beginning of the decade, and the use of online advertising remains marginal.
For classified ad platforms, this creates an imbalance. On one side, individuals are publishing massively. On the other side, local businesses are underutilizing these communication channels even though ads between professionals and individuals represent a growth lever for both parties.
What holds back small businesses
The problem is not technical. The ad submission interfaces have become simple. The blockage lies more in the perception of return on investment and the difficulty in standing out against the volume of ads from individuals. A business publishing an ad for a local service finds itself drowned among second-hand offers and proposals from individuals, without specific highlighting.
Some platforms are beginning to offer dedicated spaces for professionals with paid visibility options (ad boosting, verified badge, consultation statistics). This is a development avenue that could reshape local marketing through classified ads.
Video and social networks: when ads migrate to new formats
The most visible trend for users concerns publication formats. Short video is gradually becoming established in ads, driven by content consumption habits on social networks.
Several platforms now allow users to integrate a video directly into the ad. For a second-hand vehicle, a thirty-second video showing the interior and starting the engine generates a level of trust that no series of photos can match. For a property, a filmed smartphone tour sometimes replaces the first physical visit.
At the same time, social commerce via platforms like TikTok Shop blurs the line between social network and classified ad site. French sellers are using these channels to sell new or second-hand products, with a narrative format (demonstration, live reviews) that radically departs from the classic classified ad. This migration forces traditional sites to rethink their user experience to avoid losing content creators and young sellers.
The online classified ad market is going through a phase where regulation, mobile usage, and video formats converge to transform a sector that was thought to be stabilized. Compliance with the DSA, document verification, and video integration represent three distinct technical challenges that each platform must tackle simultaneously, or risk losing both its advertisers and the trust of its users.