You can file Complaints against moderation decisions of online-platforms. This includes:

i. Decisions whether or not to remove or disable access to or; restrict visibility of the information
ii. Decisions whether or not to suspend or terminate the provision of the service, in whole or in part, to the recipients;
iii. Decisions whether or not to suspend or terminate the recipients’ account;
iv. Decisions whether or not to suspend, terminate or otherwise restrict the ability to monetise information provided by the recipients.

If you come across any form of content that is illegal or is violating community guidelines, you can file a Claim with ADROIT. Same counts, if your content is removed and you think that your content does not violate any regulations.

ADROITs certification to provide dispute resolution services is not restricted to any EU Member-State. ADROIT is entitled to resolve disputes across the whole European Market, regardless of the registered office of the Provider of the Online-Platform or the place of residence of the User.

Irrespective of your Country of Residence, you can complain to ADROIT, regardless of where you life, inside or outside the European Union. Residence of the Compainant is not an admissibility criteria. However, your claim needs to have a substantial connection to the EU, which is an admissibility criteria.

What does the criteria of a "substantial connection" mean in practice?

• If you live insides the EU, your claims have a substantial connection to the EU as a rule.
• If you live outside the EU, you must demonstrate a substantial connection between your claim and the European Union. This is given, when you are a content provider whos viewers or readers are living in the EU, or when you are developing apps aiming at the European Market. Those are merely examples. ADROIT will evaluate on a case-by-case basis, whether your Complaint has a substantial connection to the EU.

According to Art. 21 DSA, the provider of the Online-Platform has to bear the cost of the Proceedings. The User will not be charged for ADROITs Dispute Settlement.

ADROIT is legally obliged to process your Complaint in 90 days or less. However, we are a lot faster. After sending your Complaint you will usually receive the final decision three weeks after submission.

ADROIT will settle disputes, free of charge for the user, based on proven expertise in the fields:

• Online shopping and online booking platforms
• Content sharing and content driven marketing-platforms
• Crowdfunding and P2P lending
• Web3, Defi, NFT and fintech platforms and protocols
• Gaming, gambling and betting platforms
• B2B, B2C and P2P trading platforms and marketplaces

Decisions made by ADROIT are not legally binding. However, platforms are expected to cooperate in good faith and take our recommendations seriously. Under the DSA, they are required to engage in the dispute process and respond transparently.

Here’s what typically happens:

• The platform receives our recommendation with reasoning.

• They are expected to take it into account when finalising their response to the user.

• If they choose not to follow the recommendation, they should be able to justify why.

Although the outcome isn’t enforceable like a court order, repeated non-compliance by platforms may trigger scrutiny from regulators. For users, this means our decision may influence the platform to reverse or modify its original action—especially when the case is strong and well-documented.

Yes. Under Article 20 of the DSA, platforms must offer an internal complaint-handling system, and you are generally required to try that first before turning to an ODS body like ADROIT.

Here’s how it works:

• First, submit your complaint directly to the platform.

• If you are unsatisfied with the outcome or receive no response within a reasonable time, you may bring the case to ADROIT.

We will usually ask for documentation showing that you’ve already tried to resolve the issue through the platform.

Yes, you can, your country of residence does not prevent you from submitting a claim. What matters is whether your complaint has a substantial connection to the European Union.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• If you are based in the EU, your claim is automatically considered to have a substantial connection.
• If you are based outside the EU, you must show how your content or activity affects the EU digital space. For example:
• You publish content aimed at an EU audience.
• You run an app or service used by people in the EU.
• Your online presence has a clear footprint in the European market.

ADROIT assesses this connection on a case-by-case basis.

Not all platform actions fall under Article 21, but many common moderation and account-related decisions do. You can file a complaint with ADROIT about decisions such as:

• Taking down or disabling access to content you posted.

• Restricting the visibility of your content (such as downranking or shadowbanning).

• Suspending or terminating your access to the service.

• Suspending or removing your account.

• Restricting or terminating your ability to monetise content (e.g. ads, creator programs).

If a platform made a decision that negatively affects your use of the service, and you believe it was unjustified, you may be able to challenge it through ADROIT.

ODS decisions are not automatically made public. However, transparency is still important. ADROIT may publish anonymised case summaries or general insights from cases to support learning and accountability.

Here’s how we balance transparency and confidentiality:

• Individual case details remain confidential unless all parties consent.

• We may release reports with trends, examples, and recommendations in anonymised form.

• We follow strict data protection rules under the GDPR.

This way, we contribute to public understanding while protecting users’ and platforms’ sensitive information.

ADROIT’s core mission is to provide neutral, fair assessments. To do this, we have strong safeguards in place:

• We are legally and structurally independent from online platforms and commercial actors.

• Our staff is selected based on relevant expertise and required to declare any conflicts of interest.

• We apply transparent procedures to all parties equally.

• We are subject to oversight by our national Digital Services Coordinator.

Impartiality is not just a principle, it’s a compliance standard under Article 21(3) of the DSA.

To help ADROIT review your case effectively, make sure to include the following:

• A clear explanation of what happened

• The specific platform decision you’re challenging

• Screenshots or records of any notifications or emails you received

• A copy of your initial complaint to the platform, and their response (if any)

• Any relevant terms or guidelines that you believe support your position

Providing this information up front can make the process smoother and quicker.

A VLOP, or "Very Large Online Platform," is a platform that reaches more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU. These platforms have special responsibilities under the DSA due to their significant societal impact.

Examples of VLOPs include:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• YouTube

• TikTok

• X (formerly Twitter)

• Amazon Storefront

• Google Search (as a Very Large Online Search Engine or VLOSE)

These platforms are held to stricter standards, especially regarding transparency, risk assessments, and user rights.