If you are experiencing a problem with an intermediary digital service, please follow the steps below, as appropriate, to resolve it.
Contact the provider of the digital service if:
It is recommended that you promptly report any illegal content you have detected to the provider of intermediary digital services.
Important note:
Illegal content at the EU level may include, for example, child sexual abuse material, hate speech, dangerous or counterfeit/imitation products, the non-consensual use of private images (photos, videos), or the non-authorised use of copyright-protected material.
What constitutes illegal content is defined under Union and/or national legislation. When content is considered illegal in only one Member State, it is typically removed within that territory only.
The provider must offer you the possibility to report illegal content via easy to use “notice and action mechanisms”, in accordance with Article 16 of the Digital Services Act. The mechanisms should facilitate the collection of the following information, on the basis of which the provider will decide on any removal of content or disabling of access to it:
- The reasons you consider the content illegal.
- The location where the content was found (e.g., URL).
- Your name and email address. This information is not required when the content includes Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
- A declaration that the information provided in your report is accurate and complete.
Once you report illegal content, the provider must, without undue delay, send you an acknowledgment of receipt. Based on the above information, the provider is required to make a timely, diligent, and objective decision regarding the allegedly illegal content. Provider must also inform you, without undue delay, about:
- The decision reached regarding the report of illegal content you submitted.
- The available means of redress against that decision.
If you have reported illegal content to a digital service provider and disagree with the provider’s decision, it is recommended that you file a complaint directly with the provider.
The provider must have a user-friendly ‘complaints-handling system’, in accordance with Article 20 of the Act, which allows you to lodge a complaint about its decision, electronically and free of charge.
You have the right to submit a complaint to the provider within six (6) months from the date the decision was issued. The provider is required to inform you, without undue delay, about:
- The decision taken in relation to your complaint, including the reasoning behind it;
- the possibility of out-of-court dispute and other available means of redress or appeal against the decision
You may submit a complaint to the provider in cases where any of the following restrictions have been imposed on the grounds that you have posted content deemed illegal or contrary to the service’s terms and conditions:
- Removal or restriction of visibility of content you have posted, or disabling of access to such content;
- Partial or complete suspension, or termination, of the service provided to you;
- Suspension or deletion of your account;
- Suspension, termination, or restriction of your ability to receive remuneration for your content.
The provider is required to operate a user-friendly complaint-handling system, in accordance with Article 20 of the Digital Services Act, which must enable you to submit a complaint electronically, free of charge, along with the necessary supporting information.
You have the right to submit a complaint to the provider within six (6) months from the date the restriction was imposed. The provider is obliged to inform you, without undue delay, about:
- The decision taken in relation to your complaint, including the reasoning behind it;
- The possibility of out-of-court dispute settlement and other available means of redress
If the issue is not resolved, you may contact an Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement Body
Out-of-court Dispute Settlement Bodies (article 21 of DSA) are independent bodies that undertake to resolve out-of-court disputes between users and online platforms. You can contact them if:
- You reported illegal content to an online platform provider, and either your report was not addressed, or you disagree with the decision taken
- You disagree with restrictions imposed by a platform provider on your uploaded content or your account
The Out-of-court Dispute Settlement Bodies have the necessary know-how to resolve disputes. They must be impartial and independent of providers of online platforms, users and, generally, all recipients of the service. They are certified by the Digital Services Coordinator of the Member State in which they are established. In Greece, the relevant certification is provided by EETT.
You may choose an Out-of-court Dispute Settlement body established in any EU Member State, regardless of your residence or the location of the platform provider. Please note that this does not affect your right to take legal action before a court.
Dispute resolution is provided free of charge or for a nominal fee.
Situations in which you may contact EETT
If the problem you are experiencing relates to any of the following issues, you can submit a complaint to EETT by filling out the online complaint form.
- Restrictions on communication with the provider of the intermediary digital service.
- Restrictions on the possibility to report illegal content.
- Inadequate justification by the provider for suspending your account or removing your content
- Barriers to submitting a complaint to the provider
- Difficulty in locating or accessing the terms of use
- Limitations on providing information on the possibility of out-of-court dispute resolution or non-cooperation in the resolution process.
- Violations of obligations related to the protection of minors by the intermediary service provider
- Misleading presentation of services
- Breaches of obligations on how to formulate personalised recommendations for content and products.
- Breaches of obligations on how to display and target ads.
You are advised to consult EETT’s responsibilities beforehand.
Important note:
EETT:- assesses whether providers comply with the obligations set out in the Digital Services Act to address illegal content (e.g., whether they offer users easy to use tools for reporting illegal content)
- does not determine whether specific content is illegal, nor can it order the removal of such content/services/products
- is not competent to resolve disputes over providers’ decisions to impose restrictions on users
- supervises and enforces only the obligations under the Digital Services Act and is not responsible for enforcing other relevant legislation (e.g., e-commerce, consumer protection, product safety, personal data protection, copyright)
- does not consider complaints that are anonymous, vague, clearly unfounded, or abusive
- is committed to protecting and respecting user privacy in managing complaints and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
The complaint form must include all necessary information substantiating the alleged violation of the Digital Services Act, as well as any previous written communication with the provider.
Upon submission of the complaint form, you will receive confirmation of receipt. EETT will then assess the complaint. If a potential violation is identified, EETT will determine whether to handle the case itself or forward it to another competent authority, such as:
- National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV), for issues concerning online advertising (Article 26) or the protection of minors (Article 28)
- Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA), for issues related to ad targeting (Article 26) and minors’ data protection (Article 28)
- Digital Services Coordinator of the provider’s Member State of establishment, if the provider is not established in Greece
- European Commission, transmitted by the Digital Services Coordinator of the provider’s Member State of establishment, if the issue concerns obligations of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Search Engines (VLOSEs).
If your complaint is forwarded to another authority or if it is not within the scope of the Digital Services Act, you will be duly informed.
Further details are available in Article 53 of the Digital Services Act.