Malta Leads Europe in Digital Justice with First Data Act Certification for ADROIT
ADROIT.LEGAL, a Maltese legaltech start-up makes history again by securing the first certification under Article 10 of the European Data Act after having been the first organisation to receive the certification under Art 21 DSA making it one of the most important players in digital dispute resolution in the EU offering legal redress under 4 different European laws. Europeans can now settle disputes about their data from any connected devices. Malta is now facilitating compliance with the Data Act for the rest of Europe.
ADROIT Pioneering EU Data Act Enforcement with Historic First Certification
VALLETTA, MALTA. October 29, 2026 — ADROIT.legal, an independent dispute resolution body operated by RGOAL Ltd., has officially been certified as the European Union’s very first dispute settlement body under Article 10 of the European Data Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/2854).
With this landmark achievement, ADROIT becomes the first organization in the EU to be certified to settle a broad variety of disputes between Data Holders, Data Recipients and Users concerning their data access and data sharing arrangements.
The European Data Act gives consumers the right to access any personal and non-personal data generated by their connected devices and related services easily, securely and entirely free of charge.
Under Article 10 of the European Data Act, businesses, data holders, and data recipients gain the right to refer disputes regarding unfair contractual terms, reasonable compensation for data sharing, and technical access barriers to certified, independent settlement bodies.
However, there was no certified dispute settlement body for users to pursue their rights in practice, if turned down.
With the certification of ADROIT, the redress mechanism envisaged by the law is now in place in order to fulfill the Data Acts legislative objective to protect weaker commercial parties (particularly individual users, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises) from having unfair data-sharing terms unilaterally imposed on them by dominant technology providers. Who are these Data Holders? The manufacturers of connected devices like smart phones, laptops, smart glasses, fitness trackers, electric cars and IoT devices like smart fridges.
Bridging Data Access Rights and EU Digital Justice. How ADROIT Resolves Disputes
A vast variety of disputes can arise in relation to the data sharing obligations underlying the corresponding contractual agreements, which can now be resolved with ADROIT’s digital process in less than 90 days.Disputes under the Data Act commonly center on five key areas, including:
- disputes over “FRAND” (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms and compensation
- withholding or suspending data sharing where trade secrets are at risk
- disputes related to “data egress” and switching cloud and edge computing providers like SaaS
- contractual restrictions regarding “Security-Related Data”
- abuse of “unilateral contractual imbalances”
ADROIT’s international team of digital law specialists processes cases in eight European languages, namely Maltese, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Dutch.
ADROIT was also a pioneer at the Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement (ODS) body under Article 21 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), related to content takedowns, shadowbanning, account bans, demonetization, and violations of online community guidelines.
ADROIT’s Commitment to Data Sovereignty and Fairness
The company has been active as a dispute resolution entity under the ADR Directive since 2018 before it became the first organisation in the EU to be certified under Article 21 of the Digital Services Act in July 2024 and establishing first partnerships to act as a mediator between online platforms and businesses under the P2B Regulation earlier this year.
“Adding activities under a fourth European law – along with a number of non-European certifications as a dispute resolution body – brings ADROIT an important step closer to our vision of becoming a holistic provider of online dispute resolution services covering the vast majority of disputes arising in a connected society – perhaps a little bit like a Swiss army knife of digital justice alternatives.” said Jan Stockhausen, CEO of ADROIT.
The Malta-based company now holds a swiss army knife tool including the ADR Directive, the P2B Regulation and the DSA to improve consumer protection and lead the EU digital justice ecosystem.
ADROIT approaches this expanded responsibility with profound dedication to procedural integrity, technical rigor, and absolute impartiality.
“Achieving the first certification for the second time across two monumental EU legislative frameworks is both an honor and a significant responsibility,” added Jan Stockhausen, CEO of ADROIT.
“Data access disputes—whether involving connected industrial IoT devices, aftermarket automotive telematics, or smart consumer tech—move too fast for traditional, paper-burdened court systems. We accept our mandate under the Data Act and take our responsibilities vis-a-vis data holders, data recipients and users very seriously. Our commitment is to deliver an accessible, high quality independent and impartial dispute resolution process that respects both parties rights without slowing down innovation in the single market.”
Recognizing Malta’s Regulatory Leadership
Having received its two previous two certifications from the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), ADROIT’s historic third certification was made possible by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) and is testament to the progressive vision and proactive engagement of the Maltese competent authorities.
Malta has consistently distinguished itself as first in class when developing, implementing and operationalizing forward-looking EU digital frameworks. From pioneering digital asset regulation and early transposition of consumer protection legislation to ensure independent review and redress mechanisms under the DSA and Data Act, Maltese authorities continue to set a European benchmark for accessibility, efficiency, and constructive public-private cooperation.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to the MDIA for their pragmatic, highly professional, and approachable collaboration,” added Stockhausen. “Malta has a proven track record of being ahead of the curve in European regulatory implementation. Their readiness to engage constructively with innovators is one of the main reasons why Malta is one of the strongest-performing economies in the European Union, leading the bloc in some key economic indicators.”
ADROIT: A Specialized Digital Redress Platform
Operating across the EU in multiple languages, ADROIT now provides multiple digital alternatives to the often slow, paper-based and costly court litigation. With its dedicated case-management systems, team of expert lawyers, and constant technical innovation, ADROIT offers parties a swift and user-friendly path to resolve cross-border disputes impartially.
While dispute settlement and mediation procedures under the ADR directive, the DSA and the P2B Regulation are processed under dedicated digital case management systems, requests for dispute resolution under the Data Act can be submitted via email until the launch of a dedicated case management system scheduled for November/December.
For more information about ADROIT’s certification, dispute settlement procedures, or to submit a case, visit https://adroit.legal/.
About ADROIT
ADROIT.legal is an independent dispute settlement body certified under the ADR Directive, Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and Article 10 of the European Data Act. We also act as mediator under the P2B Regulation. Operated by RGOAL Ltd. which was founded in Malta by two German lawyers and a Maltese technical auditor in 2015, ADROIT provides legaltech solutions and services with a focus on independent out-of-court dispute resolution between online platforms, consumers, data holders, app developers, business users, influencers, media services providers and individual consumers across the European Union and beyond.