The Oversight Board recently released its annual report, shedding light on its impact on Meta and its ability to influence the policies governing Facebook and Instagram. In 2023, the board received a staggering 398,597 appeals, with the majority coming from Facebook users. Despite this high number, only 53 decisions were made by the board, highlighting the selectivity of the cases it takes on.
While the board acknowledges that the cases it chooses to address can have a significant impact on Meta’s users, assessing its overall influence is complex. From January 2021 to May 2024, the board sent a total of 266 recommendations to Meta. Out of these, 75 were fully or partially implemented by the company, and progress was reported on 81. The remaining recommendations were either declined, reframed, or claimed to be implemented without evidence provided to the board. There are currently five recommendations awaiting a response, raising questions about Meta’s willingness to enact changes in response to the board it established.
Interestingly, the report refrains from criticizing Meta and does not evaluate the company’s efforts to comply with the recommendations. One notable case highlighted in the report involved the former prime minister of Cambodia, where the board recommended a six-month suspension, overturning Meta’s decision to keep up a potentially harmful video. However, Meta chose not to suspend the former prime minister’s account or clarify its rules for public figures further.
The report also alludes to potential future challenges the board may tackle, such as examining “demoted content,” a practice known as “shadowbanning” among Facebook and Instagram users. The Oversight Board expressed interest in exploring cases where a platform limits a post’s visibility without notifying the user. While the board’s current scope allows it to address specific pieces of content that Meta has taken down or left up after an appeal, it remains unclear how the board will approach this issue.
A spokesperson for the Oversight Board highlighted the group’s concerns about demoted content, particularly in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The spokesperson emphasized the opacity of Meta’s decisions regarding demotion, indicating a desire to delve deeper into this issue in the future.
Overall, the Oversight Board’s report underscores the complexities and challenges it faces in holding Meta accountable and advocating for user rights on the platform. As the board continues to navigate these issues, its role in shaping Meta’s policies and practices remains a topic of interest and scrutiny.
