Facebook Parent Meta Oversight Board Increased Policy Enforcement in Q3 2022

Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, implemented more recommendations from its oversight board in the third quarter than in the second, the independent body said on Wednesday.

The Oversight Board received more than a quarter of a million calls from Facebook and Instagram users around the world in the quarter ended September 30.

The panel, which includes academics, rights experts and lawyers, was created by the company to adjudicate a small slice of content moderation appeals, but it can also advise on the policies of the site.

Its policy recommendations are non-binding, but Meta is required to respond to them, normally within 60 days.

The oversight board said 27% of its recommendations were fully or partially implemented by Meta during the third quarter, compared to 21% in the previous quarter.

Earlier this month, he recommended Meta revamp its system by exempting high-level users from its rules, saying the practice favored powerful business interests and allowed content decisions to be influenced.

The arrangement, called cross-verification, adds a layer of enforcement to millions of Facebook and Instagram accounts owned by celebrities, politicians and other influential users, giving them extra leeway to post content. content that violates company policies.

In July, Meta also sought advice from the Supervisory Board on changes to its current approach given improved sources of authentic information and general awareness around COVID-19.

Separately, Meta’s supervisory board on Wednesday reversed a decision to remove a video shared on Instagram showing the horrific aftermath of an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed at least 40 people.

The video showed the aftermath of the attack on the church that took place on June 5 in Owo, southwestern Nigeria. Meta previously deleted the video, saying the hashtags added by the user could be interpreted as glorifying violence and downplaying suffering. The user appealed the removal to the independent commission.

© Thomson Reuters 2022