Appeals Centre Europe
 | |
| Formation | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Type | Out-of-court dispute settlement body |
| Purpose | Resolution of disputes concerning online content moderation |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
Area served | European Union |
| Services | Content moderation dispute resolution including account suspension disputes |
| Website | appealscentre |
Appeals Centre Europe is an Irish-registered organisation that reviews disputes between users and online platforms concerning content moderation decisions. It operates under Article 21 of the European Union's Digital Services Act, which allows users to refer certain disputes with online platforms to certified out-of-court dispute settlement bodies.[1]
The organisation is based in Dublin, Ireland, and was certified by the Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán in September 2024. It began accepting disputes in November 2024.[2]
History
Appeals Centre Europe was established following the introduction of the Digital Services Act's framework for out-of-court dispute settlement. Its initial funding included an irrecoverable one-time grant from the Oversight Board Trust, associated with the Oversight Board established by Meta.[3]
On 26 September 2024, Coimisiún na Meán certified the organisation as an out-of-court dispute settlement body for a five-year period. Its certified area of expertise covers the application and enforcement of social media platforms' terms and conditions.
The Appeals Centre initially handled cases involving restricted or reported content on Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Since November 2024 it has expanded beyond its initial services and platforms to include additional platforms and services. By December 2026, its published service information shows the Appeals Centre covers content and account disputes for Instagram, Threads, Pinterest and Google Maps.
Operations
Appeals Centre Europe reviews eligible disputes involving platform decisions about content removal, restrictions on content and account restrictions or suspensions based on alleged violations of platform policies. Its case reviewers independently assess platform policies and available evidence to determine whether a platform applied its rules appropriately.
Under the Digital Services Act, decisions issued by out-of-court dispute settlement bodies are not binding on online platforms, however implementation of decisions issued by out-of-court dispute settlement bodies is part of the engagement in good faith requirement set out in the DIgital Services Act.
Transparency
In May 2026, Appeals Centre Europe published a report covering April 2025 to March 2026. It reported receiving more than 24,000 disputes, of which over half were eligible for review. The report stated that the organisation disagreed with platform decisions in 59% of cases where it reviewed the disputed content. It also identified difficulties in obtaining evidence from platforms in account-suspension cases.
In November 2026, Appeals Centre Europe will be published their next report covering October 2025 to September 2026.
References
- ↑ "Out-of-court dispute settlement bodies". Coimisiún na Meán. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- ↑ "Social media complaints". RTÉ News. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- ↑ "Media regulator insists appeals body with links to Meta is independent". Irish Independent. Retrieved 22 October 2026.