Appeals Centre Europe will manage disputes from individuals and organizations across the European Union (EU).

Initially, the centre will focus on cases involving Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, with plans to expand to other platforms over time.

The Appeals Centre is now certified as an out-of-court dispute resolution body under Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), following approval from Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán.

It Is legally certified to offer an impartial, swift, and cost-effective service, independent from both governments and companies.

The centre will assess whether platforms’ decisions align with their content policies, including related rules, principles, and human rights considerations.

An in-house team of experts will review each case, providing human oversight, and offering specialized knowledge in various regions, languages, and policy areas.

By generating data to reveal patterns and identify systemic risks, the Appeals Centre also aims to promote greater accountability and transparency among social media companies.

It offers an alternative to the often lengthy and expensive legal processes available for resolving such disputes.

Initial funding for the Appeals Centre comes from a one-time grant provided by the Oversight Board Trust, an authority overseeing content decisions on Meta’s platforms.

Once operational, the centre will sustain itself through fees charged to social media companies per case. Users filing disputes will only pay a small fee, which will be refunded if the decision is in their favour.

Thomas Hughes, former director of the Oversight Board administration, has been appointed as the inaugural chief executive of Appeals Centre Europe.

Commenting on the centre’s launch, Hughes said, “The new dispute settlement framework in the EU offers significant potential for empowering individuals and communities by allowing them to challenge social media content decisions.

“Independent, expert, swift, and affordable redress is essential for safeguarding people’s rights and enhancing the accountability and transparency of social media platforms.

“We aim to provide users with an independent option for resolving disputes outside of government and corporate influence, ensuring that platforms’ content policies are applied fairly and impartially.

“Through our expert team, the Appeals Centre will offer a reliable service that reduces the strain on regulators and courts, lowers costs for users, and delivers independent, expert decisions.”

The Appeals Centre will officially open in Dublin and begin accepting disputes from social media users by the end of the year.