Training for Platform Dispute Resolution Specialists and Compliance Officers Under the Digital Services Act (DSA)
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Training for Platform Dispute Resolution Specialists and Compliance Officers Under the Digital Services Act (DSA)
4–6 February 2026
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course
The growing digitalization of society, accelerated by the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), has created a pressing need for qualified individuals to serve as independent decision-makers in out-of-court settings. Article 21 DSA introduces a new architecture of Out-of-court Online Dispute Settlement (ODS) bodies, which require robust, fair, and rights-based decision-making. The training initiative responds to this need by preparing a new generation of dispute resolution specialists, compliance officers and legal professionals with the skills, knowledge, and ethical awareness necessary to serve in the ODS ecosystem. By equipping participants to understand both the normative and technical frameworks of the DSA, and by offering hands-on scenario-based skills training, the programme directly supports the growth of a new generation of digital adjudicators, dispute resolution specialists and compliance officers, who will provide high-quality and rights-compliant dispute resolution under the DSA across jurisdictions. This activity is the result of a collaborative effort between ITCILO, the University of Turin and leading actors in the ODS ecosystem, such as User Rights and Adroit Legal. Together, we aim to foster a shared culture of principled digital adjudication.
Who attends this course?
The course is conceived for any of the following groups:
- Recent legal professionals, arbitrators, and civil society practitioners with a legal background;
- Professionals interested in joining certified ODS bodies as decision-makers under Article 21 of the DSA;
- Attorneys specializing in platform regulation, online freedom of speech and law enforcement in the digital sphere;
- Lawyers representing and advising platforms, platform users, ODS bodies and regulators on the DSA and particularly Art. 21;
- Early-career dispute resolution lawyers and regulatory professionals;
- Civil society advocates engaged in platform accountability, content moderation, and access to justice.
Learning objectives
The training course aims to:
- Provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of out-of-court dispute settlement within the broader context of the DSA and alternative and online dispute resolution;
- Introduce participants to the role and function of certified ODS bodies and their emerging practices and jurisprudence;
- Develop practical skills for handling ODS cases, including legal reasoning, drafting of decisions, and ethical conduct;
- Develop practical skills for complying with the DSA, with a particular focus on the ODS aspects;
- Promote awareness of platform governance, content moderation, and user rights;
- Foster a network of future DSA adjudicators and dispute resolution experts who may serve in DSA- certified institutions or similar global bodies.
Main themes
- Introduction to the legal framework of the Digital Services Act and an overview of user redress mechanisms;
- Deep-dive on Art. 21 DSA: scope of application, certification, parties’ obligations; procedural requirements and time-limits; legal status of outcomes; costs and funding; transparency and the current ODS landscape;
- Comparative perspectives on alternative and online adjudication models, EU digital fairness and procedural fairness and due process in online adjudication;
- Emerging challenges in content moderation, platform accountability, and access to online justice;
- Applicable law questions in ODS, relevance of fundamental rights and platforms terms of service;
- Practical tools, skills and techniques for case-handling and decision-making, from intake to resolution;
- Drafting reasoned decisions and applying checklists for quality control;
- Ethical challenges for decision-makers and independence and impartiality in practice.
Methodology
- Online interactive lectures and case studies (Modules 1-4);
- Face-to-face training (Modules 5-8) with practitioners from certified ODS bodies;
- Simulations and role-playing in dispute resolution scenarios;
- Peer review of drafted decisions;
- Optional follow-up online coaching and placement support in ongoing initiatives (in coordination with User Rights and Adroit Legal).
Expected outcomes
- Participants will obtain an international certificate and qualification as Platform Dispute Resolution Specialist & DSA Compliance Officer;
- Participants will be able to act as decision-makers at a certified ODS body under the DSA;
- Participants will be able to advise on compliance with the DSA, and in particular with Article 21;
- Participants will be able to work at platforms and other digital services providers, focusing particularly on ODS aspects;
- Creation of a reference training model that can be replicated across Europe and beyond;
- Strengthened cooperation between ITCILO, academia, and civil society actors in the ODS space;
- Identification of qualified candidates for further engagement by User Rights and Adroit Legal, as well as other ODS bodies.
