Usually, to go head-to-head with social media companies, people have to go down the path of a lawsuit. But now, an independent public body will resolve these cases before they get that far.
According to Reuters, the new “Appeals Centre Europe” will start before the end of 2024. It’ll be the first port of call for cases against tech companies like TikTok, Facebook, and Google. Reportedly, more tech companies will be added over time.
According to RTE, the Appeals Centre will specifically deal with disputes related to the removal of content and the suspension of users’ accounts.
“We want users to have the choice to raise a dispute to a body that is independent from governments and companies, and focused on ensuring platforms’ content policies are fairly and impartially applied,” Thomas Hughes, the newly-instated CEO of the Appeals Centre, said in a statement cited by Reuters.
What is the Appeals Centre Europe?
In a statement shared with Reuters, the Appeals Centre said that it will aim to review cases against social media companies within 90 days. During this window, the Centre will determine whether the social media platforms behave in line with its content policies.
The Centre, which is based in Dublin, Ireland, is set to be funded by fees charged to social media organizations. Furthermore, users who are bringing a case against social media platforms will be expected to pay a nominal fee. If these users then win the case, the fee will be refunded.
However, a key factor highlighted by Reuters is that even if the Appeals Centre wins a case, their settlement and ruling aren’t necessarily binding. So, we might not want to get the bunting out just yet.
