The Meta Independent Oversight Committee on Wednesday rebuked the company for repealing the social media giant’s fact-checking policy earlier this year. It urged Mark Zuckerberg’s company to assess “potential negative effects.”
The independently operated but funded by Meta cited concerns that the company had made changes that “were away from normal procedures and not shared about previous human rights due diligence the company had done.”
It announced its first ruling on individual content cases since Zuckerberg in January, weeks before President Trump’s inauguration, and announced that Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will be repealing fact-checking teams.
In some cases, the board supported Meta’s decision to leave controversial content, such as posts discussing access to the bathroom for transgender people.
Otherwise, I ordered the company to remove posts that contain racist slurs.
The comments placed the board in conflict with Meta’s chief executive, who is trying to curry favor with President Trump.
In January, Zuckerberg argued that content restrictions meant that “there are too many mistakes and too many censors.”
He ended content restrictions and was pivoted to the “Community Notes” model, similar to the social media platform X run by Trump’s ally Elon Musk. Musk argues that fact-checking teams and policies are the muzzle of freedom of speech.
Zuckerberg sought companions until the next administration, dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence just before Thanksgiving, and donated $1 million to the first fund.
However, 40 years ago, tech giants face a backlash to roll back content moderation policies aimed at reducing misinformation and hate speech.
The change in the rules removed restrictions on calling homosexuals mentally ill and women as “home items or property.” It said it will focus on detecting content related to terrorism, child sexual exploitation and fraud.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson told the Post that the company welcomed the board’s decision to “leave or restore content to promote free expression on the platform.” It didn’t address the board’s ruling that sought to defeat the content.
In addition to the ruling, the Oversight Board will make 17 recommendations related to changes in the rules, urging the meta to improve enforcement of its bullying and harassment policies, and clarify which ideologies are banned on its platform.
Meta urged them to assess whether change could lead to “uneven global outcomes,” particularly in countries experiencing crises like armed conflict.
The board also asked Meta to track the efficiency of the new Community Notes program and disclose that data every six months.
Meta appears to have continued to commit to the oversight committee despite the blame.
“There’s no reason to think that Meta is planning to get sour on the board or make major structural changes in terms of its commitment to the board,” board co-chair Paolo Carrozza told Reuters.
Meta has pledged to fund the board until 2027, with at least $35 million a year being allocated over the next three years.
With post wire
