<!-- headlesslaw {"release":{"id":"a4f2a0495fe55b47323883f82977a9b34ab66171ec9623e39925d3a7045b6c81","published":"2026-11-01T16:41:30Z","pinned":false},"limits":{"coverage":{"history":"full","held_since":"2016-05-04","gaps":[],"covered":["GDPR L1"],"not_covered":["national guidance","court decisions"]},"freshness":{"release_id":"a4f2a0495fe55b47323883f82977a9b34ab66171ec9623e39925d3a7045b6c81","release_published":"2026-11-01T16:41:30Z","checked_at":"2026-11-01","checked_against":"EUR-Lex"},"truncation":null,"failures":[],"incomplete":[]},"page":{"path":"/gdpr/recitals/21","url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals/21","title":"Recital 21","family":"l1_recital_view","work_id":"gdpr","view_of":"/gdpr/recitals","status":"in_force","force_status":"in_force","date_state":"current","requested_date":null,"as_of":"2026-11-01","applies_from":null,"application":null,"version_label":"Regulation (EU) 2016/679, OJ L 119, 4.5.2016","check":{"against":"EUR-Lex","on":"2026-11-01"},"check_result":"matched","official_url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679","valid_from":"2016-05-04","valid_until":null,"content_id":"f10a027b26151767","versions":["2016-05-04"],"version_url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals/21/versions/2016-05-04","revision_url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals/21/versions/2016-05-04/rev/f10a027b26151767","versions_url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals/21/versions","relations_url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals/21/relations","act_url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/recitals","source_line":null,"attribution":null,"context":{"act":{"work_id":"gdpr","path":"/gdpr/recitals","name":"GDPR","number":"Regulation (EU) 2016/679","celex":"32016R0679","title_official":null,"document_date":null},"position":{"kind":"recital","key":"21","index":21,"articles":173,"annexes":0},"prev":{"path":"/gdpr/recitals/20","key":"20","title":"Recital 20"},"next":{"path":"/gdpr/recitals/22","key":"22","title":"Recital 22"},"act_anchor":""}}} -->
# Recital 21

*In force · Regulation (EU) 2016/679, OJ L 119, 4.5.2016 · Checked against EUR-Lex on 1 Nov 2026 · [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679)*

This Regulation is without prejudice to the application of Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, in particular of the liability rules of intermediary service providers in Articles 12 to 15 of that Directive. That Directive seeks to contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market by ensuring the free movement of information society services between Member States.
