A video in which a man told Syrian migrants in Germany it was “time to say goodbye” and called for their return to Syria was ruled to breach hate speech rules and ordered to be removed under an EU dispute process.
In a decision issued on July 23rd 2025 under case number UR_2026_01, the certified settlement body User Rights overturned TikTok’s original decision to leave the video online, following a complaint made under the Digital Services Act.
The case centres on a German-language TikTok video posted after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, in which the user addressed Syrians living in Germany and argued they should return to their country.
The reporting party had initially flagged the video to TikTok in April 2025, arguing that it breached the platform’s guidelines. TikTok responded that it would not remove the content.
The complaint was then referred to User Rights, which is authorised under the Digital Services Act to review platform moderation decisions through an out-of-court dispute process.
User Rights set out its findings in the ruling, concluding that the content violated TikTok’s policies.
“The video devalues and discriminates against Syrian immigrants based on protected attributes,” the body said.
“TikTok’s decision to leave the content online was unjustified because it is incompatible with its Policy on Hate Speech or Hateful Behavior.”
In its assessment, the body said the video portrayed Syrian migrants as a group in a negative manner, including claims about crime and employment.
“The video implies that Syrian immigrants are collectively criminal and economically dependent,” the ruling stated.
“This constitutes discrimination.”
User Rights also found that the video did not present what it described as factual arguments on migration, and instead relied on generalised claims about a protected group.
“The content lacks factual arguments regarding migration and instead mocks Syrian migrants,” it said.
“It transports a hateful ideology.”
The video featured the user speaking directly to the camera while music played in the background, telling Syrians it was “time to say goodbye” and expressing regret that they had not already returned by bus following political developments in Syria.
Under the Digital Services Act, dispute settlement decisions are not binding on platforms. However, platforms are required to examine such rulings and decide whether to implement them, and to inform the body of their final position.
The Digital Services Act, which came into force across the European Union in 2024, introduced a formal mechanism allowing users to challenge content moderation decisions by large online platforms through certified independent bodies.