But what is this new body with an independent view to resolve disputes on the platforms?
Deleted accounts, reports for incitement to hatred or harassment…: an extrajudicial body will be tasked before the end of the year with ultimately deciding disputes between European users of Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, he announced on Tuesday in a press release.
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This structure, called “Call Center Europe” (“Appeals Center Europe” in English), will eventually have seven members. It is initially funded by the governance of Meta’s supervisory board, which the company created in 2020 to have an independent look at content moderation, after several scandals.
Users will be able to use it to appeal decisions taken by Facebook, TikTok and YouTube concerning content reported for “harassment” or “incitement to hatred” but also on account deletions, Thomas told AFP. Hughes, former director of Meta’s supervisory board who will lead the organization.
The creation of this structure meets the requirements of the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), which has applied to all platforms since last February and provides that their users have access to an extrajudicial body to resolve disputes.
The DSA “offers the opportunity to shift the balance of power between users, platforms and governments by giving individuals the ability to question decisions made about what they post and what content they access online”continued Mr. Hughes. “This is a game changer.” This sort of “court of appeal” has been certified by the Irish media regulator and will sit in Dublin.
Users will have to pay five euros to present their grievances, refundable if the decision is in their favor, while the platforms will have to pay 100 euros for each new file, indicated Thomas Hughes, specifying that ultimately the new body should be entirely financed by these fees.
Facebook, TikTok and even YouTube are frequently accused of censoring certain voices or, on the contrary, of promoting disinformation, harassment and the activities of violent groups.
