Meta's Oversight Board has formally challenged the company's recent overhaul of its hate speech and content moderation policies, expressing concerns about the potential risks these changes pose to user safety and human rights.
Key Concerns Raised by the Oversight Board
- Reduction in Fact-Checking: In January 2025, Meta discontinued its U.S. fact-checking program, replacing it with an AI-driven "Community Notes" tool. The Oversight Board criticized this move, highlighting the lack of transparency and questioning whether adequate human rights due diligence was conducted prior to the change.
- Relaxation of Hate Speech Policies: The company eased restrictions on discussions of sensitive topics, including immigration and gender identity. Notably, Meta removed prohibitions on referring to gay individuals as mentally ill and to women as "household objects or property." The Board expressed concern that these policy rollbacks could lead to increased bullying, harassment, and the spread of hateful ideologies.
- Lack of Transparency and Due Diligence: The Board noted that the policy changes were announced hastily, deviating from Meta's regular procedures, and without public information on any prior human rights assessments.
Recommendations from the Oversight Board
The Oversight Board issued 17 recommendations to Meta, urging the company to:
- Reassess the global impact of the policy changes, particularly in countries experiencing crises.
- Strengthen enforcement against bullying, harassment, and hateful ideologies.
- Clarify which hateful ideologies are banned on its platforms.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the new "Community Notes" tool and disclose the results every six months.
Meta's Response
Meta has acknowledged the Oversight Board's decisions that support promoting free expression on its platforms. However, the company has not directly addressed the Board's recommendations concerning content removal or the broader policy changes. Meta has committed to responding to the Board's recommendations within 60 days.
Despite the controversies, Meta continues to fund the Oversight Board through an irrevocable trust, with allocations secured through 2027, ensuring the Board's operational independence.
The Oversight Board's scrutiny underscores the ongoing debate over balancing free expression with the need to protect users from harmful content on social media platforms.
