ACE Up the Sleeve? Appeals Centre Europe (ACE) as Meta's Bid to Hegemonise Social Media Content Moderation in the EU

This blogpost critically examines the recent certification of Appeals Centre Europe (ACE) as an out-of-court dispute settlement (ODS) body under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), situating it within the broader context of Meta's influence over social media content moderation. ACE's emergence, backed by a substantial investment from the Meta-funded Oversight Board Trust, raises concerns over the potential monopolisation of the nascent ODS market. The blogpost explores the structural and financial ties between ACE and Meta, questioning whether ACE can genuinely fulfill the DSA's requirement of independence from platform influence. Ultimately, it argues that while ACE's presence may enhance content moderation efficiency, it risks consolidating Meta's hegemony over the dispute resolution landscape, potentially undermining the European Commission's vision of a pluralistic and independent regulatory framework under the DSA.