Multiple Dutch queer organisations, businesses, and venues have launched legal proceedings against Meta following the mass deletion and blocking of their Instagram accounts without warning or explanation.
In recent months, LGBTQIA+ organisations have seen their pages repeatedly removed or shadowbanned. Affected parties include Amsterdam’s Club Church, Sauna Nieuwezijds, Café Free Willie, No Limits! Art Castle, Tilla-Tec, Butt Magazine, The Queer Agenda, Striptopia, and Queer Gallery, with support from the Netherlands‘ umbrella organisation COC Nederland.
Dutch groups unite after repeated removals without explanation
Law firm Brandeis, representing the organisations, sent a formal notice of default giving Meta a two-week deadline to respond or face legal action. The letter alleges violations of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Digital Services Act, GDPR, and Dutch civil law.
Account owners report being suddenly locked out, receiving only vague automated messages about rule violations with no prior warning or clear appeal process. Some faced permanent deletion.
Minke Gommer of Brandeis states this violates multiple regulations, as the DSA requires clear explanations and appeal rights. She argues Meta also violates anti-discrimination laws and freedom of expression, noting that platforms cannot systematically exclude minority groups from public debate.
Jan Hoek, founder of No Limits! Art Castle, had eight accounts blocked after a single post. While some were restored, he now joins the collective action, stating he wants Meta to stop queer discrimination and comply with Dutch and European laws. He hopes this sets a precedent for other marginalized groups, including sex workers and activists.
COC Nederland emphasizes Meta’s actions disproportionately harm queer communities, restricting their ability to connect and participate in public debate. The organization highlights Meta’s policy allowing hateful expressions against minorities, including calling homosexuals “mentally ill” or describing women as “objects”.
Repro Uncensored documented over 70 censorship cases in April, primarily targeting queer and abortion-related content in the European Union. A separate report received more than 130 complaints about deleted accounts, often belonging to LGBTQI+ initiatives and organizations focused on women’s rights and sexual health.
Martha Dimitratou of Repro Uncensored frames this as digital discrimination, explaining that what is at stake are the rights of queer communities in the Netherlands and people worldwide who depend on these platforms for access to information and public debate.
The notice demands Meta stop unlawfully removing queer accounts, explain its deletion criteria, and provide a designated contact. It also raises concerns about discriminatory effects on marginalized groups.
In Belgium, LGBTQIA+ rights organisation çavaria has launched the ‘Flood The Feed‘ campaign, pressing politicians to amend the constitution to combat hate speech while encouraging positive social media content. In December 2025, çavaria already called out Meta’s modus operandi.
If Meta fails to respond adequately, the organizations are prepared to take further legal steps to enforce their demands through the courts.
