Meta Platforms Inc. (META, Financial) faced sharp criticism from its independent oversight board over policy changes made to Facebook and Instagram in January. These reforms reduced fact-checking efforts and eased restrictions on discussions around controversial topics like immigration and gender identity. The board, funded by Meta but operating independently, urged the company to assess the "potential negative impacts" of these adjustments.
The oversight board expressed concerns about Meta's hasty announcement of these reforms, which deviated from standard procedures without public disclosure of any human rights due diligence. This stance might put the board at odds with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has been working to mend relations with former President Trump while retracting measures aimed at curbing hate speech, misinformation, and violence on the platforms.
Following the January policy changes, the board made decisions on the first user content cases, upholding some of Meta's decisions to retain controversial content while demanding the removal of posts containing racist remarks. A Meta spokesperson stated that the company welcomes the board's decisions to preserve or restore content to promote free speech but did not comment on decisions requiring content removal.
