Facebook’s new censorship process has taken off, and the platform’s Oversight Board has released the first six cases it plans to review.
The Facebook Oversight Board (The Board) does have a period for public comment for the posts under review, but it does not make the actual posts or appeals publicly available. It only summarized the posts.
The Board claimed in its announcement that it had received over 20,000 appeals since October. Five of the selected cases were referred to The Board by users, and one was referred to The Board by Facebook, according to the announcement. The Board has opened a public comment period for the cases under review, which will end on December 8 at 8:00 a.m. EST.
This apparent policy that does not reveal the specific content of posts gives the public less context.
For example, The Board will consider a post which depicted how “A user posted two well-known photos of a deceased child lying fully clothed on a beach at the water’s edge. The accompanying text (in Burmese) asks why there is no retaliation against China for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims, in contrast to the recent killings in France relating to cartoons. The post also refers to the Syrian refugee crisis.” According to the announcement, “Facebook removed the content for violating its Hate Speech policy.”
The Board will also examine “an alleged quote from Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, on the need to appeal to emotions and instincts, instead of intellect and on the unimportance of truth.” Facebook reportedly removed the post for violating its “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations” policy. The user, however, claimed that “the quote is important as the user considers the current US presidency to be following a fascist model.”
Another post that The Board will consider was the only post referred by Facebook itself. This post “criticizes the lack of a health strategy in France” and describes an “alleged scandal about the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (the French agency responsible for regulating health products) purportedly refusing authorization for use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin against COVID-19, but authorizing promotional mail for remdesivir. The user criticizes the lack of a health strategy in France and states that ‘[Didier] Raoult’s cure’ is being used elsewhere to save lives.” Facebook removed the post for “Violence and Incitement.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Facebook headquarters at 1-650-308-7300 and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
