The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post under its Violence and Incitement Community Standard. While the company considered that the post contained a veiled threat, a majority of the Board believed it should be restored. This decision should only be implemented pending user notification and consent.
Having recently announced our next round of cases, the Board has now selected an additional case for consideration.
Following the publication of our first case decisions, the Board is announcing its next cases and opening the public comments process. Two cases have been selected by the Board, including the case accepted by the Board last week relating to former US President Trump’s indefinite suspension from Facebook and Instagram.
Today, the Oversight Board is announcing its first decisions. In the five case decisions published today, the Board overturned four of Facebook’s decisions, upheld one and issued nine policy recommendations to the company. The cases covered four continents: Asia, Europe, North America and South America. None of these cases had easy answers and deliberations revealed the enormous complexity of the issues involved.
The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post which it claimed, “contributes to the risk of imminent… physical harm.” The Board found Facebook’s misinformation and imminent harm rule (part of its Violence and Incitement Community Standard) to be inappropriately vague and recommended, among other things, that the company create a new Community Standard on health misinformation.
The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post which the company claims violated its Community Standard on Dangerous Individuals and Organizations. The Board found that these rules were not made sufficiently clear to users.
The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post on Instagram. After the Board selected this case, Facebook restored the content. Facebook’s automated systems originally removed the post for violating the company’s Community Standard on Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity. The Board found that the post was allowed under a policy exception for “breast cancer awareness” and Facebook’s automated moderation in this case raises important human rights concerns.
The Oversight Board has upheld Facebook’s decision to remove a post containing a demeaning slur which violated Facebook’s Community Standard on Hate Speech.
The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post under its Hate Speech Community Standard. The Board found that, while the post might be considered offensive, it did not reach the level of hate speech.
Today the Oversight Board accepted a case referral from Facebook to examine their decision to indefinitely suspend former US President Donald Trump’s access to post content on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook has also requested policy recommendations from the Board on suspensions when the user is a political leader.
Today the Oversight Board is releasing the outcome of a human rights report requested by the Board and delivered by the non-profit organization Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). We are also publishing our procedures for how Board Members select and review cases, as well as how they make policy recommendations to Facebook.
This week, the Oversight Board announced the first cases it will be deliberating and the opening of the public comment process. Today, the Board selected an additional case for consideration.
Today, the Oversight Board is announcing the first cases it will be deliberating and the opening of the public comment process. The Board is also announcing the appointment of five new trustees.
Today we're announcing an important milestone in the progress of the Oversight Board. From today, if your content is removed from Facebook or Instagram and you have exhausted the company's appeal process, you can challenge this decision by appealing to the Oversight Board. Similarly, Facebook can now refer cases for a decision about whether content should remain up or come down. In the coming months you will also be able to appeal to the Board about content you want Facebook to remove.
This update shares our progress in setting up the Oversight Board, and the pathway towards the Board hearing its first case over the coming months.
Today the impact of social media on people’s lives is hard to grasp. This can often be positive. As the world lives through a global health crisis, social media has become a lifeline for helping people and communities to stay connected become a lifeline for helping people and communities to stay connected.
In January 2020 Facebook published their proposed bylaws, which once ratified by our members, will provide the rules for operations and procedures. In addition, Thomas Hughes was announced as the Director of the Oversight Board Administration and will be responsible for supporting members and leading the staff.
In December 2019 Facebook shared an update on the establishment of the Oversight Board trust that holds contracts with our board members and employs the administrative staff, and announced Facebook’s $130m commitment to funding our first six years of operation.
In September 2019 Facebook published the charter that defines our mandate and our relationship to Facebook. This document, informed by insight and feedback gathered during global consultation, sets out parameters for key aspects of our operations, like size, scope and power, membership and governance, and decision-making authority.
Facebook published details on the process for appointing members to the board, from sourcing and vetting candidates to interviews, diversity considerations, selection, appointment and orientation. A recommendations portal is open for the ongoing collection of potential board members.
In June 2019 Facebook published the findings of their global consultation process in a report which summarized all of the feedback and recommendations gathered through events held globally.
In April 2019 Facebook opened a public consultation to allow people and organizations who were not able to attend regional workshops to provide their thoughts on how the board should be designed.
In January 2019 Facebook published a draft charter for the Oversight Board which set out a series of key questions, from how many members should sit on the board to how cases should be selected. This charter was used to run a global consultation to gather views and opinions from experts and organizations working on a range of issues such as free expression, human rights and democracy around the world.
