Facebook is the platform with the most complaints about digital services

In the second quarter of 2025, ANACOM received 36 complaints about digital services, 23 more than in the same period last year, representing a 177% increase in the number of complaints received by this Authority.

Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) accounted for most of these complaints, with 24 complaints (67% of the total concerning digital services). Among these, the main platform was Meta's Facebook, which was the subject of 15 out of the 36 complaints received during this period (42%). Also noteworthy, although with a lower number of complaints, were the TikTok and Instagram (Meta) platforms, both with 8%, as well as YouTube, Google, and Reddit, each representing 5% of the total volume of complaints.

Restrictions applied to the accounts or content of service recipients are the most complained about, while reports of illegal content saw the biggest increase.

The main reason for complaints about digital services was the suspension, restriction or removal of accounts or content of service recipients by providers, based on alleged violations of the law or their terms and conditions, which service recipients considered to be undue. This reason for complaint accounted for 40% of complaints received in the period under review, with 19 complaints recorded, 15 more than in the second quarter of 2024.

Reports of illegal content accounted for 17% of complaints, followed by complaints related to the identity and security of service recipients and the handling of complaints by online platforms, both accounting for 11% of total complaints. Reports of illegal content and the handling of complaints were the reasons that increased the most compared to the second quarter of 2024.

During this period, five complaints were forwarded to the Irish Digital Services Coordinator, which contained evidence of infringements of the Digital Services Regulation by providers established in that country. During the same period, ANACOM received two complaints forwarded by the Digital Services Coordinators of Finland and Lithuania concerning the provider Cloudflare, whose legal representative is established in Portugal.

Regarding the suspension, restriction or removal of user accounts or content by providers, it is noted that providers of hosting intermediary services (which include online platforms) are required to provide a clear and specific statement of reasons to all recipients of the services affected following any restriction which is imposed on the grounds that the information posted by the recipient of the service contains unlawful content or is incompatible with the provider's terms and conditions.

This statement must contain at least the following information:

(i) Information on whether the decision entails either the removal of, the disabling of access to, the demotion of or the restriction of the visibility of the information, or the suspension or termination of monetary payments related to that information, or imposes other measures regarding the information, and, where relevant, the territorial scope of the decision and its duration;

(ii) the facts and circumstances relied on in taking the decision, including, where relevant, information on whether the decision was taken pursuant to a notice submitted in accordance with Article 16 or based on voluntary own-initiative investigations and, where strictly necessary, the identity of the notifier;

(iii) Where applicable, information on the use made of automated means in taking the decision;

(iv) where the decision concerns allegedly illegal content, a reference to the legal ground relied on and explanations as to why the information is considered to be illegal content on that ground;

(v) where the decision is based on the alleged incompatibility of the information with the terms and conditions of the provider of hosting services, a reference to the contractual ground relied on and explanations as to why the information is considered to be incompatible with that ground;

(vi) Clear and user-friendly information on the possibilities for redress available to the recipient of the service in respect of the decision, in particular, where applicable through internal complaint-handling mechanisms, out-of-court dispute settlement and judicial redress.

Online platforms are also required to provide an internal complaint management system that ensures timely, non-discriminatory, diligent and non-arbitrary handling of complaints filed against the decisions they adopt, in particular: (i) to suppress, block or restrict the visibility of information or not to do so; (ii) to suspend or terminate the provision of the service or not to do so; (iii) to suspend or close the account of the recipients or not to do so; (iv) to suspend, terminate or otherwise restrict the ability to monetize the information provided by the recipients or not to do so.

If they consider that the above rules have not been followed, recipients of these services may submit a complaint to ANACOM, which is the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) in Portugal. ANACOM will assess the complaint and, if applicable, forward it to the DSC of the state where the online platform is established, for example, in the case of Meta's platforms, the DSC in Ireland.

Consult:

• Digital services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=431203