Dutch watchdog investigates online firms for blocking accounts and only using bots

Dutch consumers increasingly face blocked accounts and limited access to human customer service from online companies, a growing problem under scrutiny by the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). The regulator is monitoring compliance with the European Digital Services Act, known in Dutch as the digitaledienstenwet, which requires online services to be reliable and accessible.

Research commissioned by the ACM shows that the most frequent complaints involve companies allowing only chatbots or automated phone systems, preventing consumers from contacting a real person. “We see in practice that this is not always the case,” an ACM spokesperson said.

Consumers also report accounts being blocked without explanation and advertisements on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn not being clearly labeled as ads. The European law applies to all online services, from social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to cloud storage providers including Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Apple iCloud.

The ACM supervises both major international platforms and domestic services like Marktplaats, Thuisbezorgd, and Bol.com, and the rules can extend to smaller online shops that allow user reviews.

Edwin van Houten, director of consumers at the ACM, urged users to first try resolving issues directly with the company. “That is very important. They are responsible for careful handling of complaints,” he told NOS. If that fails, consumers should report the problem to the ACM. “Based on all the signals we receive, we can determine which platforms to address.”

In the past year, the ACM received more than 250 complaints concerning the Digital Services Act. Some were referred to foreign regulators when the company’s European headquarters are not in the Netherlands.

One hundred complaints reprotedly involved Dutch online services under the ACM’s jurisdiction. Although the complaints date to last year, the ACM has only been able to enforce the law since February, after being officially appointed as a regulator.

The ACM declined to comment to NOS on whether any current investigations into potential violations are underway.