User Rights
User Rights GmbH is the first German out-of-court dispute settlement body certified under Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act, providing free independent review of social media content moderation decisions for EU users across five major platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What User Rights does
User Rights GmbH is a Berlin-based, privately held company founded in 2024 that operates as the first German out-of-court dispute settlement body certified by the Bundesnetzagentur under Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act. The company provides a free, independent, and legally reasoned review of social media content moderation decisions affecting individual users, civil society organizations, and lawyers acting on behalf of clients in the EU. Its service covers five platforms — Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest — and addresses content removal, account suspension, algorithmic visibility restrictions, content labeling, and monetization limitations. Cases are submitted through a self-serve online form in German, English, French, or Italian and are resolved by trained legal mediators (Streitschlichter) within a standard 90-day timeline, extendable to 180 days for complex cases.
The underlying technology stack is built on the Logos case-handling platform operated by Rulemapping Solutions GmbH, which applies artificial intelligence to text-based case processing, knowledge retrieval across legal documentation, and analysis of platform and user submissions. The platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services, with data processing partly in the US under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. User Rights has also established the Article 21 Academic Advisory Board in partnership with the University of Osnabrück and the University of Amsterdam's DSA Observatory, and publishes a public decisions repository and transparency reports to support industry standard-setting.
The business model is a platform-paid, transaction-fee structure mandated by the DSA: users incur no cost, while covered social media platforms bear the cost of dispute resolution through an internal staggered fee schedule based on case complexity, contracted on multi-year terms. The company has six employees and is led by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Raphael Kneer and Dr. Niklas Eder, with a small management team including a Director of Regulatory Affairs and a Strategic Associate. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed; ownership is concentrated with the founders.
User Rights firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- User Rights
- Legal name
- User Rights GmbH
- Website
- https://user-rights.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- User Rights GmbH is the first German out-of-court dispute settlement body certified under Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act, providing free independent review of social media content moderation decisions for EU users across five major platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
User Rights industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Freedom, Access to Information & Digital Rights (BPADAGAE)
Keywords
Where User Rights is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
User Rights business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Platform-paid dispute resolution fees: User Rights generates revenue through fees charged to social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest) for processing dispute resolution cases. The company applies an internal staggered fee structure based on case complexity, which is paid exclusively by the platforms—not by the users filing complaints. This cost-bearing model is mandated by the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free dispute resolution for users |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
User Rights product offering
Product offeringCore offering
User Rights provides a certified out-of-court dispute settlement service that reviews social media content moderation decisions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Users submit cases through a secure online form; trained, independent legal mediators issue non-binding reasoned rulings within 90 days (extendable to 180 days) applying German, Italian, and EU law with fundamental-rights considerations. The service is free for users; platforms bear the cost per the Digital Services Act.
Product overview
User Rights operates as a single, unified service — a certified out-of-court dispute settlement body for social media content moderation under Article 21 of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). Users submit moderation disputes via a secure online case submission form; cases are reviewed by trained legal mediators (Streitschlichter) using the Logos case-handling platform; and a reasoned, non-binding decision is issued within 90 days (extendable to 180 days for complex cases). The service is free for users; costs are borne by the platforms. The core offering covers reviewing platform moderation decisions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest across content removal, account suspension, visibility restriction, and other enforcement actions. It does not include direct messaging cases, hacking incidents, or platforms outside its coverage. The broader ecosystem includes an Advisory Board for academic guidance and a public decisions repository.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- User Rights Dispute Settlement Service A certified out-of-court dispute settlement service that reviews social media content moderation decisions (content removal, account suspension, algorithmic reach restriction, content labeling/warnings, monetization restrictions) on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Users submit cases via a secure online form; trained legal mediators issue non-binding, legally reasoned rulings within 90 days (extendable to 180 days). The service is free for users; platforms bear the costs as required by the DSA.
Quantifiable outcome
- Standard case processing within 90 days
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use User Rights
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
User Rights technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
User Rights partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of OsnabrückcoreCo-convenes the Article 21 Advisory Board with the DSA Observatory at the University of Amsterdam. Prof. Dr. Hannah Ruschemeier serves as co-chair. The board facilitates discussions and provides practical guidance on how out-of-court dispute settlement bodies should function.
- DSA Observatory at University of Amsterdam (Institute for Information Law)coreCo-convenes the Article 21 Advisory Board with the University of Osnabrück. Associate Prof. Dr. João Pedro Quintais serves as co-chair. The board publishes discussion reports addressing core issues in out-of-court dispute settlement.
- Rulemapping Solutions GmbHcoreProvides the Logos platform used by User Rights for technical processing of dispute resolution cases. The platform is embedded in the User Rights website and uses artificial intelligence technologies for case handling.
- Amazon Web Services EMEA SARLcoreProvides cloud hosting services for the User Rights website and platform infrastructure. AWS is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, with parts of data processing occurring in the USA.
- Clandestine GmbHminorProvides external Data Protection Officer services to ensure GDPR compliance. Contactable at [email protected].
- Centre for Democracy & Technology EuropeminorSubmitted written contributions to the Article 21 Advisory Board's fourth meeting on transparency reporting.
- Gesellschaft für FreiheitsrechteminorSubmitted written contributions to the Article 21 Advisory Board's fourth meeting on transparency reporting.
- TremauminorCollaborated with User Rights on the article 'State of Play of DSA Dispute Settlement' assessing transparency reports from certified ODS bodies.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
User Rights competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- ActiveFence: Provider of content-moderation AI, risk intelligence, and trust-and-safety tooling to platforms. Adjacent infrastructure provider whose technology shapes the very moderation decisions User Rights reviews.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: Long-established digital-rights advocacy organization. Comparable as an ecosystem peer whose speech-and-platform-accountability framing aligns with User Rights' fundamental-rights value proposition.
- Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF): German civil-rights organization that has contributed to User Rights' Advisory Board work. Comparable because it litigates and advocates on the same fundamental-rights and platform-accountability issues that drive User Rights' case load.
- Center for Democracy & Technology Europe: Digital rights policy organization that has contributed to User Rights' Article 21 Advisory Board. Comparable as a policy-think-tank peer shaping the standards User Rights must apply.
Direct peers
- Modria (Tyler Technologies): Online dispute resolution platform used by courts, government agencies, and businesses. Comparable because it provides the dispute-resolution technology pattern that User Rights' Logos-based workflow mirrors, scaled across different case domains.
- Meta Oversight Board: Independent body that reviews Meta content-moderation decisions and issues reasoned rulings. Closest functional analogue to User Rights, though it is Meta-funded/scope-limited rather than a statutorily certified DSA ODS body.
Emerging players
- TrustLab: Content trust-and-safety platform offering policy review and content-moderation services. Comparable because it operates in the same content-moderation governance stack that User Rights arbitrates appeals against.
- Hive: AI-driven content-moderation platform used by platforms to detect harmful content. Adjacent competitor in the broader content-moderation ecosystem that User Rights' dispute outcomes indirectly influence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
User Rights social profiles
Digital presenceUser Rights compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
User Rights financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
User Rights leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
User Rights funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
User Rights M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about User Rights
What does User Rights do?
User Rights provides a certified out-of-court dispute settlement service that reviews social media content moderation decisions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Users submit cases through a secure online form; trained, independent legal mediators issue non-binding reasoned rulings within 90 days (extendable to 180 days) applying German, Italian, and EU law with fundamental-rights considerations. The service is free for users; platforms bear the cost per the Digital Services Act.
Is User Rights a public or private company?
User Rights is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was User Rights founded?
User Rights was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is User Rights based?
User Rights is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does User Rights make money?
One revenue line is on record: platform-paid dispute resolution fees.
Who are User Rights's main competitors?
Others on record are ActiveFence, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) and Center for Democracy & Technology Europe. Direct peers are Modria (Tyler Technologies) and Meta Oversight Board. Emerging players are TrustLab and Hive.
Does User Rights have an API?
No public API is recorded for User Rights.
What industry is User Rights in?
User Rights's product category is Alternative Dispute Resolution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAGAE, Media Freedom, Access to Information & Digital Rights. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.