Social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are failing to consistently enforce their own hate speech policies, according to a new transparency report released by Appeals Centre Europe (ACE), an independent body established under the European Union’s Digital Services Act.
The organisation said it handled more than 24,000 disputes from individuals and organisations across the EU in the year to March 2026, averaging roughly one complaint every 22 minutes. The surge in cases reflects growing public concern over how online platforms moderate harmful content.
In cases where ACE reviewed platform decisions involving alleged hate speech, it found that in 70% of the 1,400 assessments, the original platform rulings were overturned. This indicates that content flagged as hateful was often left online despite breaching platform guidelines.
The report highlighted several examples. These included racist comments comparing Black footballers to monkeys that remained on Instagram following a UEFA Champions League match. It also cited antisemitic videos on YouTube shared by public figures in Poland that were not removed, despite violating platform policies. Other cases involved abusive material targeting religious minorities, Roma communities, migrants and LGBTQI+ individuals. TikTok was also found to have hosted an AI-generated video related to the Russia-Ukraine war that breached misinformation rules but was still allowed to remain online.
TikTok recorded the highest rate of overturned decisions at 83%, followed by Instagram at 74%, Facebook at 61% and YouTube at 58%. ACE said the findings point to “prominent and recurring issues” in how platforms moderate user-generated content.
The report also revealed a rising number of disputes from users challenging platform moderation decisions, with more than 30,000 complaints submitted in total. France accounted for the highest number of eligible disputes, followed by Belgium and Italy.
Not all cases involved hate speech. One dispute highlighted the removal of a Czech photographer’s images from Facebook, wrongly flagged under rules relating to adult nudity and sexual content.
Thomas Hughes, chief executive of ACE, said the findings underline the real-world consequences of online abuse. He stated that in more than two-thirds of hate speech rulings reviewed by the body, platforms failed to apply their own standards and allowed harmful material to remain online.
The report adds to increasing pressure on major technology companies as regulators and rights groups across Europe demand stronger and more consistent enforcement of digital safety rules.
