The Digital Services Act is a law that applies across the European Union (EU) that came into force in February 2024. This article explains what the law means for you and for Feeld, and how to get in touch with us if you have any questions. We are a global company operating in 100 countries, and we have decided to apply most of the rules we have put in place to comply with the Digital Services Act everywhere we operate.
Moderation
Feeld takes member safety very seriously. Sometimes we get reports from members about activity that shouldn’t be happening on Feeld. The Digital Services Act requires us to respond to these reports in a particular way.
Making a report
If someone does something that makes you uncomfortable on Feeld, you can report it. You can report criminal activity and activity that breaches our terms and conditions. Please review this Help Center Article for Instructions on How to Contact Support. Each reporting channel has the option to report suspected criminal activity under the 'Safety' options.
You will need to tell us:
- Why you think the content is illegal, or breaches our terms and conditions
- How to find the information you are reporting (such as a link to it)
- Your name and email address
- A statement confirming that you genuinely believe that the information
you have provided is accurate and complete.
Trusted Flaggers
Certain organisations and individuals may be granted Trusted Flagger status by EU Member States. Feeld can also grant Trusted Flagger status to organisations and individuals that have a track record of providing trustworthy reports of problem behaviour. Feeld will contact Trusted Flaggers directly to provide priority reporting mechanisms.
What happens if someone reports you
If someone makes a report about you, we will:
- Tell you that a complaint has been made
- Investigate the complaint
- Decide what action to take
- Tell you what action we are taking and why (this is set out in a document
called a Statement of Reasons) - Tell you how to appeal.
What kinds of things can you report?
The Digital Services Act is concerned with criminal activity and posts relating to criminal activity, and breaches of our own Terms and Conditions. These can be the same thing – for example, soliciting (asking for money in exchange for sex) is a criminal offence in some countries, but it is always a breach of our terms and conditions.
Some examples of criminal activity that might be reported include:
- Illegal sexual activity
- Blackmail and extortion
- Illegal hate speech
Some examples of breaches of our Terms and Conditions that might be reported
include:
- Harassment
- Sexual activity without consent
- Persistent unwanted contact
How do we investigate reports?
Our team of moderators follows our moderation policy. The Digital Services Act requires us to make sure our moderation policy balances all our legal responsibilities including Feeld members’ right to free speech. We have a number of different methods we can use to detect and investigate content that potentially breaches laws or our terms and conditions.
Once we have investigated, our moderation policy helps us decide what action is
most appropriate. For example, we might:
- Take no further action
- Make the content more difficult to find
- Remove the content
- Suspend your account for a period of time
- Permanently ban you from Feeld
The action we take will be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence. If we decide to suspend your account, we will give you prior warning and explain why we are considering doing that.
What happens if you make a false report?
If we investigate a report and decide that nothing is wrong, we will review the report itself. If the report is based on a genuine concern, we will take no further action. However, if the reporter has a history of making false reports or appears to be misusing our reporting process, we make take further action against them. Our moderation policy will help us decide what action is most appropriate. For example, we might:
- Remind you of our terms and conditions
- Suspend your account for a period of time
- Permanently ban you from Feeld
What happens if the content cannot be removed?
If there is a technical reason why reported content cannot be removed or why access to it cannot be removed, we will tell the person who made the report.
What else do we have to do?
We have to provide information about the reports we receive and the action we
take to the Digital Services Coordinator. We also have to produce an annual Transparency Report that explains our moderation process and provides details of the reports we have received and the actions we have taken. We expect to publish our first report in late 2024.
Contact point for Digital Services Coordinators
EU Member State Digital Services Coordinators can contact Feeld here:
Feeld Limited
86-90 Paul Street
London, EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom
Our Terms and Conditions are here: Terms of use | Feeld