Thomas Hughes

Dr. Ritumbra Manuvie

Lynn Boylan 

From Meme to Mob

Diaspora in Action for Human Rights and Democracy

When harmful content stays online: exploring DSA implementation, platform accountability, and moderation gaps in Europe.

Press Club Brussels 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) 📍 Press Club Brussels Europe 📅 3 June 2026 🕓 16:00-18:00

Agenda

Arrival of participants, possibility of informal networking, and welcome tea/coffee. 

Registration, Welcome Coffee & Networking Arrival of participants

Introduction to the event, its objectives, and the broader discussion on the implementation of the Digital Services Act in multilingual and cross-border digital environments.

Opening Remarks

Overview of the role of Appeals Centre Europe, how the appeals mechanism functions in practice, and what recent cases reveal about platform accountability and foreign language moderation systems.

Thomas Hughes, CEO of Appeals Centre Europe

Presentation of DAHRD’s monitoring and reporting work, reflecting on how the moderation process is more complex than it initially appears and highlighting broader systemic concerns emerging from repeated under-enforcement in non-English and non-Latin script contexts.

Ritumbra Manuvie DAHRD Intervention

Reflection on the policy implications of these findings, including platform accountability, enforcement gaps, and systemic risks under the Digital Services Act. 

Lynn Boylan, Member of the European Parliament  (The Left))

Exchange between speakers on systemic risks, foreign-language moderation, democratic resilience, and cross-border online harms.

Moderated Panel Discussion

Open discussion with participants followed by concluding reflections.

Audience Q&A and Closing Remarks

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