Germany certifies Platform Control as dispute resolution body for Google platforms

Germany's telecommunications regulator certified Platform Control as an out-of-court dispute resolution body under the Digital Services Act on November 4, 2025. The Berlin-based KLN information services UG operates Platform Control, which handles conflicts between users and six platforms including YouTube, Google Maps, Reddit, Tinder, Hinge, and OKCupid.

This marks the second certified dispute resolution body in Germany under the DSA framework. According to the Bundesnetzagentur, Platform Control met all legal requirements under Article 21 Paragraph 3 of the Digital Services Act, demonstrating necessary expertise, independence, impartiality, rapid procedures, and clear operating rules.

The certification enables EU citizens to challenge platform content moderation decisions without cost. Platform Control's service remains free for users, with online platforms covering the fees. The organization began accepting complaints through its website at platform-control.com immediately following certification.

Two conflict scenarios trigger review eligibility

Platform Control handles two distinct moderation scenarios. The first covers platform actions against users, including deleted content, restricted accounts, algorithmic reach limitations, or complete account suspensions. The second scenario addresses situations where users reported content but platforms took no action.

David Korb, co-founder and CEO of Platform Control, stated in March 2025 that fraudulent business models, deepfakes, election manipulation, and hate speech cause significant individual and societal damage when platforms allow illegal content to spread unchecked.

Co-founder Maximilian Nerlich explained on March 26, 2025, that independent dispute resolution bodies like Platform Control serve as technological and legal bridges between user rights and platform power in digital environments where platforms increasingly influence freedom of expression and visibility.

DSA framework creates accountability mechanisms

The Digital Services Act entered into force in November 2022, establishing comprehensive rules for online platforms operating within the European Union. The regulation requires Very Large Online Platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users to implement robust content moderation systems while providing users meaningful recourse when they believe content was wrongfully removed.

European Commission data from August 2025 showed that 16 million content removal decisions by TikTok and Meta were challenged by users in the second half of 2024. The success rate reached 35 percent, with approximately 5.6 million pieces of content restored after successful appeals through the DSA framework.

The dispute resolution process operates through four steps. Users complete an online form taking approximately five minutes. Platform Control conducts preliminary review to ensure complaints meet admissibility requirements. Legal experts then examine the moderation measure against applicable laws and platform policies. Finally, Platform Control issues legally grounded decisions that platforms must consider, though binding enforcement remains limited.

German implementation reveals enforcement tensions

Platform Control's certification comes amid broader tensions around DSA implementation in Germany. Investigations documented in August 2025 revealed that German businesses systematically exploit DSA notification mechanisms to remove unfavorable online reviews through mass defamation complaints.

The Düsseldorf Regional Court ruled on January 15, 2025, that platforms can be held liable as "disruptive parties" when failing to prevent certain violations. This precedent incentivizes conservative content moderation practices where platforms remove reported content rather than risk legal consequences.

Platform Control's legal team evaluates moderation decisions against both EU regulations and national laws. The organization aims to improve how online platforms handle people and communities by strengthening democratic values through examination of content decisions by Meta, Google, and other major platforms.

Regulatory landscape grows increasingly complex

Multiple regulatory frameworks now overlap in European digital markets. The Digital Services Act operates alongside the General Data Protection Regulation, Digital Markets Act, and emerging AI Act requirements. This regulatory convergence creates substantial compliance challenges for platforms while potentially enhancing user protections.

The European Data Protection Board adopted Guidelines 3/2025 on September 11, 2025, establishing how digital marketers must navigate the complex intersection between DSA and GDPR obligations. The 38-page document outlines specific scenarios where marketing activities trigger both regulatory frameworks simultaneously.

Platform compliance efforts demonstrate the scale of required changes. Meta assembled a cross-functional team of over 1,000 professionals in 2023 to develop DSA compliance solutions. Meta released its comprehensive DSA transparency report on November 28, 2024, revealing detailed insights into content moderation and platform safety measures across Facebook and Instagram.

The Bundesnetzagentur serves as Germany's Digital Services Coordinator, controlling intermediary services including online platforms for DSA compliance. The regulator functions as the central coordination point for DSA enforcement in Germany, certifying dispute resolution bodies and Trusted Flaggers while examining researcher applications for data access to Very Large Online Platforms.

International disputes over content governance intensify

Platform Control's certification occurs against backdrop of international tensions over digital content governance. The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary released an interim report on July 25, 2025, alleging that European regulators use the DSA to pressure American social media platforms to censor political speech.

Congressional investigators obtained documents from a May 7, 2025, European Commission workshop where officials categorized the phrase "we need to take back our country" as coded language and illegal hate speech. This political rhetoric has been used across the American political spectrum by multiple elected officials.

Google reversed certain censorship policies on September 23, 2025, following a congressional investigation. YouTube committed to never using outside fact-checkers to censor speech, though European operations may maintain different standards due to regional regulatory requirements.

The DSA requires detailed transparency reporting from designated platforms, enabling researchers and policymakers to identify patterns in content moderation effectiveness. These reports provide unprecedented visibility into previously opaque algorithmic decision-making processes affecting billions of users globally.

Marketing implications of dispute mechanisms

For digital marketing professionals, certified dispute resolution bodies create new considerations for campaign planning and content strategy. Platform content moderation practices continue evolving across major search and social media services, affecting how advertising networks approach content categorization and placement restrictions.

The certification of Platform Control establishes precedent for independent oversight of platform decisions affecting commercial content. Advertisers facing account suspensions or content restrictions now have formal channels beyond platform appeals systems to challenge moderation decisions.

Reddit introduced mandatory arbitration requirements on August 7, 2025, moving advertiser disputes away from traditional court proceedings. The contrast between Reddit's private arbitration approach and Platform Control's independent review mechanism highlights diverging strategies for managing platform-advertiser conflicts.

Platform Control's geographic scope remains limited to European Union and European Economic Area citizens. The organization requires complainants to confirm EU residency and certify they have not filed complaints about the same content with other dispute resolution bodies, national courts, or competent forums.

The dispute resolution body operates in German and English, with language selection independent of the disputed content's language. This bilingual approach facilitates access for users across multiple European jurisdictions while maintaining operational efficiency.

Platform Control's vision emphasizes creating digital spaces where freedom of expression is protected, censorship is prevented, and participation remains possible for all users regardless of gender, origin, or religion. The organization positions itself as an alternative to lengthy court proceedings that can take months or years to resolve content disputes.

Timeline

• October 19, 2022: Digital Services Act enters into force across European Union
• November 2022: DSA establishes comprehensive rules for online platforms with varied compliance deadlines
• April 25, 2023: European Commission designates seventeen entities as Very Large Online Platforms
• February 17, 2024: DSA becomes fully operational for all platforms
• January 15, 2025: Düsseldorf court establishes DSA platform liability precedent in Skinport v Google case
• July 25, 2025: House committee exposes DSA impact on American political speech
• August 28, 2025: European Commission dismisses censorship claims around DSA implementation
• September 3, 2025: General Court upholds Zalando designation as Very Large Online Platform
• September 11, 2025: European Data Protection Board clarifies DSA compliance for marketers
• October 24, 2025: EU finds TikTok and Meta in breach of DSA transparency rules
• November 4, 2025: Bundesnetzagentur certifies Platform Control as second German dispute resolution body

Summary

Who: The Bundesnetzagentur certified KLN information services UG (trading as Platform Control), co-founded by David Korb and Maximilian Nerlich, affecting EU citizens who use YouTube, Google Maps, Reddit, Tinder, Hinge, and OKCupid.

What: Platform Control received certification as an out-of-court dispute resolution body under Digital Services Act Article 21, enabling free legal review of content moderation decisions including account suspensions, content deletions, algorithmic restrictions, and platform inaction on user reports.

When: The certification was announced on November 4, 2025, with services available immediately through platform-control.com for EU and EEA residents to file complaints against the six covered platforms.

Where: Platform Control operates from Gräfelfing, Germany, handling disputes between users across all EU member states and the designated platforms, with proceedings conducted in German or English according to user preference.

Why: The certification fulfills DSA requirements for independent dispute resolution mechanisms that provide users rapid, efficient, and cost-free alternatives to lengthy court proceedings while ensuring platforms maintain accountability for content moderation decisions affecting fundamental rights.