Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/06/2026
16:00 - 18:00
Location
Press Club Brussels Europe
Categories
When harmful content stays online: exploring DSA implementation, platform accountability, and moderation gaps in Europe.
As debates around the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) continue across the EU, this panel discussion brings together policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and digital governance experts to examine how online harms, multilingual moderation challenges, and cross-border content are testing the effectiveness of existing enforcement and mitigation mechanisms — and what this means for the future of platform accountability and democratic resilience in Europe.
During the event we will focus on DAHRD’s findings based on cases reviewed through the Appeals Centre Europe mechanism established under the DSA framework. Through its monitoring and reporting work, DAHRD documented patterns of persistent under-enforcement involving anti-Muslim hate speech in non-EU languages.
The report analysed 49 posts submitted through the Appeals Centre Europe process and found that 51% of the original moderation decisions were later overturned following review. Across 28 documented cases, harmful content remained online for a cumulative total of 4,637 days, with posts staying accessible for an average of 166 days before removal, and in some cases up to 429 days.
The panel will examine the extent to which existing enforcement and mitigation mechanisms are equipped to respond to multilingual and cross-border harms in practice. While systemic risks are already established under Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA, the findings discussed during the event raise broader questions regarding how these obligations are operationalised, particularly in relation to minority-language moderation, contextual assessment, and the role of civil society organisations in identifying and documenting harms that platforms and enforcement mechanisms may otherwise fail to detect.
Particular attention will be given to how moderation systems and complain mechanisms continue to rely on external expertise to interpret culturally and linguistically specific content, raising concerns about unequal protection, implementation gaps, and the accessibility of DSA safeguards for minority and diaspora communities within Europe.
This event will further explore how persistent circulation, amplification, and weak enforcement expose broader challenges in the implementation of the DSA, and what this means for the future of platform accountability, multilingual moderation, and democratic participation in Europe.
Special contribution by Lynn Boylan, Member of the European Parliament (the Left group), focusing on platform accountability, systemic risks, and democratic resilience within the EU digital space.
The panel will feature:
- Thomas Hughes — CEO of Appeals Centre Europe
- Ritumbra Manuvie — Assistant Professor at University College Groningen and Executive Director at DAHRD
- Lynn Boylan — Member of the European Parliament (the Left group)
Please register here https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/from-meme-to-mob-tickets-1989100761924