The Facebook parent company Meta Platforms implemented more recommendations from its supervisory board in the third quarter than in the second, the independent board announced on Wednesday.
The regulator received more than a quarter of a million complaints Facebook and Instagram Users worldwide during the quarter ended September 30th.
The panel, which includes academics, legal experts and attorneys, was set up by the company to rule on a small subset of sensitive content moderation complaints, but can also offer advice on the site’s policies.
Its policy recommendations are not binding, however Meta is obliged to respond, normally within 60 days.
The oversight board said 27 percent of its recommendations were fully or partially implemented by Meta in the third quarter, compared to 21 percent in the previous quarter.
Earlier this month, it recommended that Meta is revising its system and exempting high-profile users from its rules, saying the practice privileges those in power and allows business interests to influence content decisions.
Dubbed Cross-Check, the agreement adds a layer of enforcement review to millions of Facebook and Instagram accounts owned by celebrities, politicians and other influential users, giving them additional latitude to post content that violates company policies.
Meta also sought the opinion of the Oversight Board in July on changes to its current approach in light of improving authentic information sources and general awareness of COVID-19.
In related news, Meta’s regulator on Wednesday overturned a decision to remove a video shared on Instagram showing the gruesome aftermath of an attack on a church in Nigeria that killed at least 40 people.
The video showed the aftermath of the June 5 attack on a church in Owo, south-west Nigeria. Meta previously removed the video, saying user-added hashtags could be read as glorifying violence and minimizing suffering. The user appealed the removal to the independent panel.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
