Facebook’s independent Oversight Board blasted the company Thursday for concealing a program that allowed VIPs, such as former President Donald Trump, to break content moderation rules.
Under a special program known as “XCheck,” 5.8 million VIP users in 2020 — including a number of high-profile celebrities, politicians, and journalists — were granted immunity from Facebook’s enforcement actions and permitted to post rule-violating content that would get normal users banned or censored on the platform, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Facebook’s failure to inform the Oversight Board about the XCheck program regarding Trump and its examination of his suspension due to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was unacceptable, the board said.
“Given that the referral included a specific policy question about account-level enforcement for political leaders, many of whom the Board believes were covered by cross-check, this omission is not acceptable,” the board wrote in its first-ever transparency report, referencing the Trump case. “Facebook only mentioned cross-check to the Board when we asked whether Mr. Trump’s page or account had been subject to ordinary content moderation processes.”
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The board said Facebook should have been more forthcoming and transparent regarding the XCheck program and its role in highly consequential content moderation decisions.
Facebook said it would try to be more transparent with the board in the future.
“We thank the board for their ongoing work and for issuing their transparency report,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “We believe the board’s work has been impactful, which is why we asked the board for input into our cross-check system, and we will strive to be clearer in our explanations to them going forward.”
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the Oversight Board in 2018 as a separate entity to help the social media giant handle thorny decisions involving content moderation.
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The board comprises 20 members from various relevant backgrounds in media, law, human rights, and international policy. The board began operating in October 2020 and issued its first ruling in January 2021, overturning Facebook on four of its first five content decisions.
