Meta drops appeal against court ruling requiring non-algorithmic social media timelines
Meta has pulled its appeal in a case brought by Dutch privacy group Bits of Freedom, meaning Facebook and Instagram users in the Netherlands can still choose to see timelines in the order in which posts were made, without automatic sorting by the platform.
The case, scheduled for a hearing Thursday afternoon at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, challenged Meta’s compliance with the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media platforms to provide users the option of a timeline not curated by algorithms. Bits of Freedom argued that Meta had not met this obligation and won an initial court ruling.
Since January 1, Meta has updated its apps to reportedly make it easy for users to view timelines showing only posts from accounts they follow, rather than algorithmically selected content. The company initially appealed the ruling, but according to Bits of Freedom, Meta informed the court at the last minute that it would largely withdraw the appeal.
“Meta no longer disputes the violation of the DSA. The changes Meta has largely made to its platforms are therefore permanent,” Bits of Freedom said.
The organization described the decision as “good news” for users. “They maintain control over their timeline,” Bits of Freedom told RTL Z, though it noted it was “surprised” by Meta’s move.
A court session will still take place Thursday afternoon because Meta disputes aspects of how the procedure was conducted.
