The Oversight Board, an independent body set up by Meta Platforms in 2020 to review its content moderation decisions, has announced plans to review more types of cases and expedite some decisions.
The Board comprises 22 members and has so far published 35 case decisions. Going forward, it will publish rulings on expedited cases as quickly as 48 hours after accepting them. The Board said in a blog post that the faster decision-making process would help it to “respond more quickly in situations with urgent real-world consequences.”
Reviewing Content Moderation Cases
The Oversight Board reviews Facebook and Instagram’s decisions on taking down or leaving up certain content and makes rulings on whether to uphold or overturn those decisions. Standard decisions, which involve a deep-dive review of Meta’s content moderation actions, can take up to 90 days to publish.
The Board’s members have diverse backgrounds and expertise, ranging from former government officials to human rights experts. For example, former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt chairs the Board, while other members include human rights lawyer Afia Asantewaa Asare-Kyei and Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman.
New Expedited Cases Process
Expedited cases will be reviewed by a panel of Board members rather than the full Board, and will not consider public comments. The Board has not disclosed what criteria it will use to determine whether a case should be expedited, but it has said that expedited decisions will be published quickly to ensure they are still relevant.
The Board will also begin publishing summary decisions, which analyze cases in which Meta has changed its mind about whether to leave up or take down posts. The Board said such decisions could help Meta avoid similar mistakes in the future and would be useful for researchers and civil society.
New Board Member
The Board has also announced that it will add Kenji Yoshino, a constitutional law professor at New York University School of Law, as a new member. Yoshino has written extensively on issues such as diversity and anti-discrimination laws.
The Oversight Board’s Role in Content Moderation
The Oversight Board is designed to provide an independent check on Meta’s content moderation decisions. While it is funded by Meta, it is operationally independent and can overrule the company’s content moderation decisions. Its decisions are also binding, meaning that Meta is required to implement them.
Since the Board was established in 2020, it has reviewed cases involving a wide range of issues, including hate speech, political speech, and nudity. Its decisions have been controversial at times, and have led to criticisms from both conservative and liberal commentators.
Conclusion
The Oversight Board’s decision to expedite some content moderation decisions will be welcomed by those who have criticized the current system as too slow. However, it remains to be seen how effective the new process will be, and whether the Board will be able to maintain the quality of its decisions in the face of increased pressure to speed up.
With the addition of a new Board member, the Board will continue to provide an important check on Meta’s content moderation policies, and its decisions will be watched closely by both civil society and the tech industry more broadly.