TL;DR

  • The Digital Services Act (DSA) has given people in the EU new rights to seek accountability from social media platforms. 
  • But, two years on, many people are still unaware of these rights.
  • So today we’re launching our Digital Services Act User Support Guide, setting out three things people can do under the DSA when they disagree with a decision made by a social media platform:
    • Appeal the decision to the platform (DSA, Article 20)
    • Challenge the decision to an independent dispute settlement body, like Appeals Centre Europe (DSA, Article 21)
    • Submit a complaint to your national regulator (DSA, Article 53)

Please note: This guide is for informational use only and does not represent legal advice. For detailed, up-to-date information on how to appeal platform decisions, please consult a platform’s help-page.

What does the Digital Services Act mean for me?

Decisions by social media platforms have real effects on people’s lives. Every day, we hear from people who have been locked out of their profiles, cutting them off from contacts, photos and precious memories. We hear from people whose business accounts have been suspended, depriving them of income. And we hear from members of communities targeted by hate and abuse on social media.

These people and communities wanted more control over their online lives and greater accountability for platform decisions.

Part of the EU’s response was the Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to help people stand up to online platforms.

At more than 60,000 words, the DSA isn’t exactly light reading. But behind the legal jargon are important new rights allowing people in the EU to challenge decisions by online platforms.

These include the right to appeal content decisions to the platforms themselves, the right to challenge decisions to independent dispute settlement bodies, and the right to submit complaints to national regulators.

It’s important to note that compliance with the DSA isn’t optional. Social media platforms must comply or face significant fines.

This DSA User Support Guide sets out three ways you can use your rights under the DSA. For each, we explain why it matters and how – in practical terms – you can use this right. We know that navigating these options can be daunting, so we’ve included links to resources to help you.  

Option 1: Appeal the decision to the social media platform (Article 20)

Why does this matter?

Every day, online platforms make mistakes enforcing their own rules. So it’s important that people can ask platforms to review their decision if they think the platform has got it wrong.

Under Article 20 of the DSA, users must be able to lodge complaints, free-of-charge, against decisions taken by online platforms (including social media) within the last six months. The platform must review the user’s appeal and inform them of the outcome in a timely manner. While this option existed before the DSA, including it in binding legislation grants people in the EU new rights.

Remember: You can also go to a dispute settlement body (Option 2) if you are unhappy with the platform’s decision after you’ve appealed.  

How can I use this?

The appeals process largely depends on which platform you’re dealing with and what they have done (suspended your account, deleted content, etc.).

To appeal account suspensions:

To appeal content removals:

To report policy-violating content currently on social media:

  • On Facebook or Instagram, click the three dots next to the content. Click “Report post / photo / video” and select a reason.
  • On TikTok, tap the “Share” button next to the content (or press and hold the content), select “Report” and choose a reason.
  • On YouTube, Click the three dots under the video, click “Report” and select a reason.

    Useful links
  • “Report content on Facebook” (Facebook Help Centre)
  • “Report something on Instagram” (Instagram Help Centre)
  • “Report a post” (TikTok Support)

What can I do if I a platform has not processed my internal appeal or if I disagree with their decision?

If a platform has not processed your internal appeal, or if you simply disagree with their decision you can:

  • Start an Article 21 dispute (Option 2)
  • Submit a complaint to your national regulator under Article 53 of the DSA (Option 3)

Option 2: Challenge the decision to a dispute settlement body (Article 21)

Why does this matter?

Until recently, people’s only choices were to ask the social media platform to review its decision or take the matter to court. However, the DSA has created a new option for people across the EU.

Under Article 21 of the DSA, users have the right to challenge online platforms’ decisions to a certified dispute settlement body, like the Appeals Centre. These bodies are independent from platforms, free-of-charge (or low cost) to the user and guarantee human review.

While decisions by dispute settlement bodies are not binding, online platforms are required by the DSA to engage with them in good faith. The data these bodies publish can also help reveal underlying issues with how platforms moderate content.

Remember: While you do not have to appeal to the platform before coming to the Appeals Centre, we recommend that you do so as it may lead the platform to reverse its original decision.

How can I use this?

Submit a dispute to Appeals Centre Europe

If you’re in the EU and your content or account has been removed, or if you’ve seen harmful, policy-violating content which has been left up, you can submit a dispute to Appeals Centre Europe.

We currently cover Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Threads. While the content your dispute is about can be in most languages spoken in the EU, you’ll need to fill in our forms in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish or Spanish.

To submit a dispute:

  • Create an account on our website.
  • Start your dispute and submit the required information.
  • Our team of experts carefully reviews your case.
  • We aim to make a decision within 90 days or less.
  • We send our decision to you and the platform. They then decide whether to reverse their original ruling.

The Appeals Centre says it can’t help – what can I do next?

  • What can I do if the Appeals Centre says my dispute does not fall within its current scope? We are constantly expanding our scope to new platforms and policy areas. You can check the current list of areas we cover here. If we don’t cover the platform or policy areas related to your dispute, you may wish to check the European Commission’s list of dispute settlement bodies to see if another body can help.  
  • What can I do if a platform has not properly engaged with the dispute process? If you don’t think an online platform has engaged in good faith in resolving your dispute, you can submit a complaint to your national regulator under Article 53 of the DSA.

Option 3: Submit a complaint to your national regulator (Article 53)

Why does this matter?

National regulators, called Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), are responsible for implementing the DSA in each EU country. As part of this, they need to understand whether online platforms are complying their obligations. The European Commission has said that complaints by individuals will be an essential contribution to the effective enforcement of the DSA.

If you’re in the EU and you think that a social media company isn’t complying with the DSA, you can submit a complaint to your national regulator (see the list below). During this process, both you and the platform have the right to receive information about your complaint.

How can I use this?

  • Establish which part of the DSA you think the online platform is not complying with.
  • Find your national regulator (Digital Services Co-Ordinator) from this list.
  • Find their complaints form or contact details and send them a message.

Conclusion

To use your rights, you need to know your rights. We hope that this Digital Services Act User Support Guide has helped you understand these new rights and how you can use them.

By exercising your rights under the Digital Services Act, you’re helping build more transparent online spaces and shaping how this landmark EU law works in practice.

What can I do next?

  1. Submit a dispute to Appeals Centre Europe and get a free, independent review.
  2. Share this guide on social media to make others in the EU aware of their rights.
  3. Write to your national regulator if you think platforms aren’t complying with the Digital Services Act.