EU residents will have a new way to dispute content moderation decisions by Facebook, YouTube and TikTok

A new Appeals Centre, certified by Irish regulators, will soon begin accepting complaints about content moderation decisions from European Union residents regarding Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The concept is similar to Meta's Oversight Board, which reviews content moderation decisions across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The Appeals Centre was made possible by Europe's Digital Services Act, which enabled the creation of Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement bodies to resolve user complaints. The Appeals Centre will be led by Thomas Hughes, previously the CEO of the Oversight Board Administration, and received funding from the Oversight Board Trust. Individuals and organizations will be able to request appeals through the Appeals Centre's website, paying a nominal fee that will be refunded if the group rules in their favor. The Appeals Centre expects to be operational in late 2024, but it's unclear how the process will work or how many cases it will take on. The Appeals Centre may not be as influential as the Oversight Board, as its decisions are not binding. Despite this, it could increase visibility of content moderation issues and give users hope that their situation may be reconsidered. The Oversight Board, which has been operational for years, received nearly 400,000 appeals and issued just 53 decisions in 2023. The Appeals Centre's non-executive trustees are also trustees on the Oversight Board, highlighting the connection between the two organizations.