The Oversight Board of Meta Platforms issued a strong critique of the company on Wednesday, expressing concerns regarding a policy update implemented in January. This overhaul significantly reduced the rigor of fact-checking processes and relaxed restrictions on discussions surrounding sensitive issues like immigration and gender identity.
Operating independently while being funded by Meta, the board has emphasized the need for the tech giant to evaluate the “potential adverse effects” of its policy shifts, which were enacted shortly before Donald Trump began his second term as President of the United States.
The board highlighted its worries that Meta enacted these changes “hastily, in a departure from regular procedure, with no public information shared about any prior human rights due diligence the company may have performed.”
This situation may place the board in opposition to Meta’s Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg, who is attempting to rebuild relations with Trump and reverse a decade’s worth of policies aimed at reducing the spread of hate speech, misinformation, and incitement to violence on its platforms.
The board’s statement coincided with its release of initial rulings on individual content cases following the January policy changes. In some instances, the board agreed with Meta’s decisions to allow controversial content, such as posts regarding transgender bathroom access, while in other cases, it mandated the removal of posts containing racist language.
In response, a Meta spokesperson stated the company welcomed the board’s decisions that promoted free expression, but did not comment on those rulings that required content removal.
Meta’s January policy shift included the elimination of its US fact-checking program and a reduction in restrictions on discussions of contentious subjects, a move that responded to long-standing complaints from conservative groups regarding perceived overreach in content moderation.
Zuckerberg had stated that existing moderation efforts had led to “too many mistakes and too much censorship,” although the company did not provide specifics or statistics to support claims of overreach.
The company also removed prohibitions on referring to gay individuals as mentally ill and referring to women as “household objects or property.” Meta indicated that it would cease proactive scanning for minor policy violations and instead focus its automated systems on detecting serious issues, including terrorism, child sexual exploitation, and fraud.
In addition to its content decisions, the Oversight Board issued 17 recommendations relating to the policy changes, urging the company to enhance its enforcement of bullying and harassment guidelines while clearly defining which hateful ideologies are prohibited on its platforms.
The board encouraged Meta to analyze whether the policy changes might have “uneven consequences globally,” particularly in regions facing recent or ongoing crises, such as armed conflict.
Furthermore, it requested that Meta evaluate the efficacy of a new Community Notes tool, disclosing findings every six months. This tool replaces partnerships with news organizations and fact-checking entities as the primary method for controlling the spread of misinformation.
Reuters was previously a partner in Meta’s fact-checking initiative.
Meta indicated it would provide a response to the board’s recommendations within a two-month period.
Commitment to Oversight Board
Despite its shift in content moderation policies, Paolo Carozza, Co-Chair of the Oversight Board, expressed confidence that Meta remains committed to collaborating with the board.
“We have no reason to believe that Meta is distancing itself from the board or planning any significant structural changes to its commitment,” Carozza remarked to Reuters.
He noted that Meta has continuously referred a steady flow of new cases to the Oversight Board since January, maintaining consistency with volumes from the past four years while also following up on the board’s recommendations.
Meta has pledged to fund the Oversight Board through 2027, allocating a minimum of $35 million annually over the next three years, according to information published by the board last year.
A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to Reuters that its commitment to this funding remains intact.
In previous financial commitments, Meta allocated $150 million to the board in 2022 and $130 million at the time of the board’s establishment in 2019.
The latest funding will similarly be placed in the Board’s Irrevocable Trust, established to ensure the board’s operational independence.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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