New EU Body to Centralize Complaints Against Facebook, TikTok, YouTube

Social media users in the EU will soon be able to send complaints against Facebook, TikTok and YouTube over content moderation to a new independent body, the Appeals Centre Europe (ACE).

This new organization was launched on October 8, 2024, after its founders announced a one-time grant from Meta Platforms’ Oversight Board Trust, an independent body tasked to scrutinize Meta’s services, especially regarding content moderation.

It is certified by Ireland’s media regulator (Coimisiún na Meán) and will be based in Dublin.

Appeals Centre’s Prerogatives

The ACE will serve as a one-stop shop for dispute resolutions under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and is set to be operational by the end of 2025.

It will be financed by fees imposed on social media companies for each case. Users who file a dispute will pay a small fee, which will be reimbursed if the decision is in their favor.

The ACE will review each case within 90 days and decide whether platforms’ decisions are consistent with their content policies.

This will make it easier for social media users to issue DSA-related complaints without going to court.

However, online platforms may refuse to engage with the ACE, in compliance with DSA. The body will not be able to impose a binding settlement on the parties.

The ACE’s remit will initially cover Meta’s Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube. More social media platforms will be included over time.

Appeal Centre’s Board of Directors

The ACE will have a board of seven non-executive directors, including three from Meta’s Oversight Board: Cherine Chalaby, Catherine O’Regan and Marie Wieck.

The additional four non-executive directors will have “no relationship to any social media company or entity funded by a social media company,” said the ACE’s website.

Its inaugural CEO, Thomas Hughes, is a former executive director at digital rights advocacy organization Article 19 and former director of Meta’s Oversight Board.

“We want users to have the choice to raise a dispute to a body that is independent from governments and companies, and focused on ensuring platforms’ content policies are fairly and impartially applied,” Hughes said in a public statement.