Facebook’s Oversight Board ruled on Thursday that the social media giant was incorrect in removing four out of five pieces of content, which included posts removed for violating rules on hate speech and misinformation pertaining to COVID-19.
“None of these cases had easy answers and deliberations revealed the enormous complexity of the issues involved,” the Oversight Board said in a press release on Thursday.
The board’s ruling serves as a test to vet and criticize the way the social media company handles problematic content posted to the platform. Following the review, the board came up with nine policy recommendations for the company, including calling on Facebook to be clearer about its rules and what is allowed on its platform.
Facebook has dedicated $130 million to fund the board’s processes for at least the next six years, Reuters reported.
Facebook’s Oversight Board, which is composed of 20 members from across the world and established last May, has also been asked to rule on the recent suspension of former President Donald Trump, who was kicked off the platform following the Jan. 6 siege on U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The social media giant blocked Trump’s access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts “indefinitely” due to concerns of further violence following the siege.
“We believe the first case decisions by the Oversight Board demonstrate our commitment to holding Facebook to account, by standing up for the interests of users and communities around the world, and by beginning to reshape Facebook’s approach to content moderation,” the board said in a statement, adding that its independent oversight seeks to quell the consequences that can arise when Facebook is the sole determiner of content removals.
The five cases the company ruled on, four of which the board overrode, are as follows:
Overturned: Facebook’s decision on case 2020-002-FB-UA to remove a post under its Community Standard on Hate Speech. The post commented on the supposed lack of reaction to the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China, compared to the violent reaction to cartoons in France.
Upheld: Facebook’s decision on case 2020-003-FB-UA to remove a post under its Community Standard on Hate Speech. The post used the Russian word “тазики” (“taziks”) to describe Azerbaijanis, who the user claimed have no history compared to Armenians.
Overturned: Facebook’s original decision on case 2020-004-IG-UA to remove a post under its Community Standard on Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity. The post included photos of breast cancer symptoms which, in some cases, showed uncovered female nipples.
Overturned: Facebook’s decision on case 2020-005-FB-UA to remove a post under its Community Standard on Dangerous Individuals and Organizations. The post included an alleged quote from Joseph Goebbels, the Reich minister of propaganda in Nazi Germany.
Overturned: Facebook’s decision on case 2020-006-FB-FBR to remove a post under its Community Standard on Violence and Incitement. The post criticized the lack of a health strategy in France and included claims that a cure for COVID-19 exists.
Facebook responded to the board’s test run on Thursday in a statement, acknowledging concerns that the company could be more transparent about its COVID-19 misinformation policy, citing one removal pertaining to the subject.
“We agree that these policies could be clearer and intend to publish updated COVID-19 misinformation policies soon,” the company said. “We do believe, however, that it is critical for everyone to have access to accurate information, and our current approach in removing misinformation is based on extensive consultation with leading scientists, including from the CDC and WHO.”
Facebook has said the Oversight Board’s decisions and future decisions are binding, giving much weight to the independent group’s decision to question the social media’s content moderation patterns.
Once the board’s decision is bound to the case, Facebook has seven days to restore users’ content in line with the board’s ruling.
