Finns voice concerns over online giants to Traficom following EU’s Digital Services Act

Have you ever experienced sudden removal of your Facebook account without explanation? Or reported illegal content on YouTube, only to be met with silence? Since February, Finns have been able to voice concerns about online giants to a domestic authority, Traficom. Thanks to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), Traficom can intervene in the operations of companies such as Google, Meta, and X.

According to Jarmo Riikonen, project manager at Traficom’s data economy network, the European Commission oversees large digital players, enforcing strict penalties for those that violate the service regulations. In Finland, Traficom takes charge of monitoring smaller entities, possessing tools to address violations.

A recent case highlighted by Yle involved Instagram limiting the visibility of a new clothing collection from the Tampere-based brand Uhana. Ultimately, the company had to reach out to Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to ensure its ads were seen.

Riikonen noted that platforms have, in some cases, promptly adjusted their operations once alerted about potential DSA violations by the Commission. “This demonstrates effectiveness, but it does depend on complaints being filed,” he explained. So far, only about thirty complaints have been reported.

When users face issues like content removal or account suspension, they often turn to Traficom after receiving inadequate responses or no reply from the service provider. If platforms fail to act within a reasonable timeframe, Traficom can escalate the issue.

Complaints are submitted through Traficom’s website and are forwarded to the appropriate authorities in the EU member state where the platform is based, often Ireland, for resolution.

Meta has recently begun restricting political content visibility on Instagram and Threads, prompting users to adjust their account settings to continue seeing such content.