In these cases, the board has 30 days to determine whether to let a decision by Facebook stand. (Neither Facebook nor the board has said how many cases were referred by Facebook in total.) There is even a process for “Expedited Review” for “exceptional circumstances” under Article 2, Section 2.1.2 of the bylaws. Indeed, two out of the six cases currently being considered by the board are Facebook referrals. Facebook can, on its own initiative, refer cases to the board for review. Because Facebook has decided to suspend Trump’s entire account, and not merely remove individual pieces of content the president has posted, the suspension does not meet the criteria currently set out in the board’s bylaws for appeals.Īll hope is not lost, however. The answer to this question only further highlights the extreme narrowness of the board’s current remit. I will spare you yet another explanation of why this is inadequate and only note that I’m glad Facebook has committed to rectifying this design flaw soon.īut isn’t the decision to suspend Trump’s account a take-down decision? You’d think so-and yet it’s not. At this stage, users can only appeal cases in which their content is taken down by Facebook, and not cases where Facebook leaves disputed content up. As I have repeatedly - and, if I’m being honest, monotonously - written about, the board’s limited “jurisdiction” is the biggest disappointment in the process of its establishment so far. However, Trump cannot appeal his profile’s suspension to the board directly. Users can submit appeals in cases where Facebook has taken content down on Facebook or Instagram. Regardless, the board is now up and running, and in December it announced the first batch of cases it is currently deliberating over. Still, it takes time for what will hopefully be an enduring institution to kick into gear, especially during a pandemic (and no, it was never because they just didn’t have laptops ). It has taken longer than many expected for the board to become operational, and it is disappointing it wasn’t ready to go before now. To explain why Facebook still holds the reins in deciding whether the board can weigh in here requires some background. The whole point of the board is, in the words of Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, that “Facebook should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own.” Its job is to weigh in on the platform’s “most difficult and significant content decisions.” Suspending the account of the leader of the free world more than fits this bill or at the very least, it should be left to Facebook to decide it doesn’t. But now, in the wake of Facebook’s most high-profile and controversial content moderation decision in its history-the “indefinite” suspension of the account of the sitting president of the United States -the board can and should have a chance to prove its value. One group of activists launched what it called “ The Real Facebook Oversight Board ” in response to the inaction of the official board. Researchers and journalists wanted to know why the board wasn’t weighing in on Facebook’s most controversial decisions and why the board wouldn’t be operational in time for the 2020 U.S. Facebook should refer its decision to suspend Donald Trump’s account to the Oversight Board for review.Įver since Facebook announced the launch of its Oversight Board in May, there have been constant questions about the board’s activities-or lack thereof. Luckily, at least one platform has built a mechanism that is intended to allay exactly these concerns. This Great Deplatforming has ignited a raucous debate about free speech and censorship, and prompted questions about the true reasons behind the bans-including whether they stem from political bias or commercial self-interest rather than any kind of principle. And after years of resisting calls to do so, both Facebook and Twitter have suspended Trump’s accounts. Snapchat, Twitch, Shopify, email providers and payment processors, among others, have all cut ties with Trump or his campaign. Capitol last week, the president has faced a swift and brutal reckoning online. While Congress works out what form of accountability it will impose on President Trump for inciting insurrection at the U.S.
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