For years, Facebook has been under fire for the way it moderates its platforms. A new supervisory board, set up by the company itself but operating independently, will from now on assess the most complex cases.
The social network presents it as a kind of ‘Supreme Court’: the cases being heard have previously been reviewed by Facebook or Instagram, after which a user has appealed. Facebook can also bring things up itself.
At the same time, it is also seen as a way to get out of government regulation. It remains to be seen what the council can do in practice.
Presidential Elections
The so-called ‘Oversight Board’ starts this month. And even before the first cases have been dealt with, there is already criticism. Because the first statements will only come after the US presidential elections, it is expected.
That is late, says a group of critical tech followers who set up the ‘Real Facebook Oversight Board’ in protest to raise issues surrounding the Facebook election. The group fears, for example, that the platform itself does not respond sufficiently sharply to disinformation that is spread about the voting process.
“The US presidential elections are under high tension and are one of the most important ever,” said Marietje Schaake, technology director at Stanford University and one of the group’s initiators. “We are just very concerned about that. With this initiative we want to pull the emergency brake.” Schaake has been approached for the board and has thanked her for this. She has doubts about the body’s independence.
The group held an online press conference last week and set a number of demands. Coincidentally, that same day, Facebook decided to apply the second requirement:
The supervisory board consists of experts, such as lawyers and human rights experts. They come from outside of Facebook, but are paid for by a Facebook-funded foundation.
‘Hope for a big impact’
The former editor of the British newspaper The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, is also on the board. “This is the first attempt by a large tech company to ask outsiders to see whether what they are doing is good or not,” he said in conversation with the NOS. He hopes the council will have a significant impact.
“Everyone is frustrated,” he says that the council will not pass judgment until after the US elections. “If there had not been a pandemic, many things would have been a lot easier.”
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The biggest mistake we can make is to start too quickly and come to half-baked judgments.
Rusbridger emphasizes that good and careful preparation is important to be taken seriously in the long term. “The biggest mistake we can make is to start too soon and come to half-baked judgments.”
The criticism goes further than just the fact that the council will only pass judgment after the elections. “On the one hand, it is a step that I appreciate”, says university professor José van Dijck of Utrecht University, who is researching digital platforms. “But the council is not allowed to comment on the revenue model or the technology that together made Facebook so great.”
Setting the standard
The establishment of the supervisory board comes at a time when there is increasing talk of regulation in both the US and Europe. “I think Facebook is coming up with this to prevent government regulation,” says Van Dijck. “What Facebook wants is to set the standard and the hope is that other platforms will follow”
According to Rusbrigder, it is not necessarily a good idea to leave regulation to governments. “Would you like President Erdogan to regulate social media or President Trump? Doesn’t seem like it. So there are great dangers in letting governments regulate the internet.”
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The idea that Facebook’s own initiative is a better alternative to government regulation is a complete misrepresentation.
A statement with which Marietje Schaake absolutely does not agree. “The idea that Facebook’s own initiative is a better alternative to government regulation is a completely misrepresentation. It’s exactly the argument Facebook has been using for years. want to regulate. “
Also listen to the NOS on 3 Tech Podcast last week about Facebook’s supervisory board.