New authorities under EU’s Digital Services Act to rule on social media disputes

The first authorities approved under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) will begin handling social media appeals this week. These bodies, based in Germany and Malta, will offer faster resolutions than traditional legal routes. They were among the first in Europe to be certified this year, alongside Hungary, with Ireland joining recently.

The DSA, which became applicable to the largest platforms in August 2023, requires companies to be transparent about ads and content moderation. The goal is to provide quicker, less costly alternatives to courts for handling disputes and to ease the burden on regulators.

Germany’s User Rights body has received around 250 complaints since August, mainly from Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn users. It reviews cases where content has been removed or moderated under German law or platform rules.

Malta’s ADROIT, certified in July, has received nearly 1,000 complaints. The majority have become active cases, with the first decisions already sent out. The Maltese body primarily handles commercial disputes but is expanding its reach with large platforms.

Last week, Ireland’s media regulator certified the Appeals Centre Europe, which will initially deal with cases from Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Questions have arisen about its funding from Meta, though the European Commission stresses the importance of impartiality and independence for all approved bodies.

These certifications are valid for a limited time, aiming to provide stronger rights to users across the EU.