Facebook’s Independent Content Oversight Board Gets Its First 6 Cases

Facebook’s independent content oversight board is finally ready to get down to business, detailing the first six cases it will hear, as well as adding five trustees. The oversight board’s public comment system also went live Tuesday, enabling anyone—general public, subject matter experts, civil society organizations—to submit research and perspectives pertaining to cases. CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his plans to create the board in November 2018, but the initiative ran into delays. Its charter was released in September 2019, followed by its bylaws in January, and the first 20 members of the board were named in May. Facebook director of governance and global affairs Brent Harris said in a Newsroom post Tuesday that once the board reaches a decision on a case, it will update its Newsroom post for that case to share details on the decision and how it was implemented for relevant content, as well as to provide Facebook’s response to policy advisory statements from the board. He added that Facebook will provide “a comprehensive and fully searchable archive of case decisions and our actions in response” as the board’s activity begins to ramp up. The five trustees who were added to the board Monday are: Kristina Arriaga, Cherine Chalaby, Wanda Felton, Kate O’Regan and Robert Post. Here are the details on the initial six cases: Facebook removed comments made by a public figure about violence by the global Muslim community toward French people, for violations of its hate speech policy, and the user appealed.A photo of a deceased child and commentary on China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims was removed for violations of the social network’s hate speech policy and the user appealed.Another appeal of content removed for violating the hate speech policy involved historical photos purportedly showing churches in Baku and a caption indicating disdain for Azerbaijani people and support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.An appeal was filed over the removal of photos from Instagram related to breast cancer symptoms and containing nudity, for violations of the platform’s policy on adult nudity and sexual activity.A post was removed for sharing an alleged quote from Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, for violations of Facebook’s policy on dangerous individuals and organizations.Facebook cited its policy on violence and incitement for its removal of a post in a group claiming that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin is a cure for Covid-19 and criticizing the French government’s response to the pandemic. Harris wrote, “This model of independent oversight represents a new chapter in online governance, and we’re committed to implementing the board’s decisions. We look forward to the board’s first decisions, which should be issued in the months to come.”

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Facebook’s Independent Content Oversight Board Gets Its First 6 Cases

Its public comment system went live, and 5 trustees were added

David Cohen

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David Cohen