New European Organization Established to Address Conflicts Involving TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook
The European Union is pushing for a panel that would enable citizens to challenge decisions made by Big Tech companies without violating freedom of speech.
Social media users in the European Union who are dissatisfied with TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook’s decisions regarding post or video removal can now appeal to a new body.
Announced on Tuesday, Appeals Center Europe is an “out of court dispute settlement body” certified by regulators in the Republic of Ireland to handle content moderation disputes throughout the 27-nation bloc.
Headquartered in Dublin, the body is funded by a one-time 15 million euros ($16.5 million) grant from Meta, the parent company of Facebook. It is led by CEO Thomas Hughes, a former executive director at Article 19, a freedom of expression non-profit.
Hughes stated that the body will review appeals related to “violence, incitement, hate speech, bullying, and harassment.”
Users lodging complaints will pay a “nominal” fee of five euros ($5.50), refundable if the body rules in their favor. Hughes explained that the fee aims to prevent system abuse.
The tech companies will be charged 95 euros ($104) for each case heard by the body.
Initially, Appeals Center Europe will not handle disputes involving Instagram, Threads, or Snapchat, but may include them in the future. It is expected to start accepting disputes from TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube users before year-end.
Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), tech companies and social media platforms are required to cooperate with dispute resolution bodies and adhere to their decisions.
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