(Photo : BTIN)

• The Appeals Centre Europe, an independent body, has been certified to resolve disputes between EU users and social media giants.
• Initially handling cases related to Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, the Centre aims to ensure platforms' content policies are fairly applied.
• The Centre's establishment comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms' content moderation policies.
• The Centre's effectiveness in resolving disputes and influencing platform policies remains to be seen.

In a significant development in the digital world, an independent body, Appeals Centre Europe, has been certified by the media regulator in Ireland. This body is set to resolve disputes between European Union users and social media giants such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. This certification is under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), a legislation aimed at regulating digital service providers and protecting users' rights in the digital sphere.

The Appeals Centre Europe, based in Dublin, is supported by Meta Platforms' Oversight Board, a body that oversees Facebook's content decisions. The Centre will initially handle cases related to Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, with plans to include more social media platforms over time. The Centre's operations will be funded through fees charged to social media companies for each case, while users who raise a dispute will pay a nominal fee, refundable if the decision is in their favour.

The Centre will employ a team of experts who will apply human review to every case within 90 days, ensuring that platforms' decisions align with their content policies. However, under the DSA rules, online platform providers may refuse to engage with such a dispute settlement body, and it does not have the power to impose a binding settlement of the dispute on the parties.

Leadership and Independence of the Appeals Centre

Thomas Hughes, the former director of the Oversight Board, will serve as the inaugural CEO of the Appeals Centre. Hughes emphasized the Centre's independence from governments and companies, stating, 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.

The Appeals Centre will have a board of seven non-executive directors and will start receiving disputes from users before the end of the year. The Centre's establishment is a significant step towards greater accountability and transparency of social media platforms. It aims to provide an impartial, swift, and cost-effective service that is independent of both companies and governments.

The Centre in the Context of Current Digital Landscape

The Centre's establishment comes at a time when social media platforms are under increasing scrutiny for their content moderation policies and practices. For instance, Meta's policies and practices have been criticized for allegedly silencing voices in support of Palestine and Palestinian human rights on Instagram and Facebook. The Centre's role in resolving such disputes could potentially bring about a significant change in how social media platforms handle content moderation.

The Centre's establishment also comes in the wake of a long-standing debate on the power and influence of tech giants. The Epic vs. Apple lawsuit, for instance, highlighted the issue of how much tech companies earn from their platforms. The Appeals Centre could potentially play a role in addressing such disputes in the future.