BackFacebook’s Oversight Board to assess new moderation policies for politicians
The Board had upheld the ban on Trump but criticized Facebook for what it said was an “inappropriate” response to his actions
PremiumNew Delhi: Facebook’s Oversight Board is reviewing the company’s new content moderation policies for politicians and public figures. The company’s new policies, announced Friday, were formulated as part of the Board’s order on the ban on former US President Donald Trump, issued earlier this year.
The Board had upheld the ban, but criticized Facebook for what it said was an “inappropriate" response to Trump’s actions. It asked the company to review it and respond with a decision that was clear and proportionate with Trump’s actions.
“The Oversight Board is encouraged that Facebook is adopting many of the Board’s policy recommendations in the case involving former US President Donald Trump. The Board is now assessing Facebook’s response to our recommendations, including greater transparency around the ‘strikes’ policy, how Facebook will apply the ‘newsworthiness allowance’ to the accounts of politicians and other influential individuals, and the new enforcement protocols," the Board said in a statement.
The “newsworthiness" clause in Facebook’s policies allows certain posts to remain on the platform even if they are in violation of its rules. The clause has been controversial, and many saw it as being partial towards politicians and public figures. Facebook said yesterday that it will not treat content posted by politicians any differently from posts by anyone else.
The social media giant also said it would provide more information on how the newsworthiness clause is applied, through its transparency center. It will also “begin publishing the rare instances" when this clause is applied to a post. According to Facebook’s transparency center, the newsworthiness clause applied to posts from “news outlets, politicians, or other people".
The social media giant banned Trump from the platform earlier this year, following attacks on the US Capitol. Trump was accused by many of inciting the violence using his social media accounts. Twitter, too, has banned Trump indefinitely. “Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr. Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available under the new enforcement protocols. We are suspending his accounts for two years, effective from the date of the initial suspension on January 7 this year," Facebook said in a blog post yesterday.
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