Meta Platforms’ Oversight Board has called on the social media firm to assess its measures in preventing the promotion of political violence on its platforms. This request follows an incident where Meta allowed a video, featuring a Brazilian general urging people to engage in violent actions, to remain online after the 2022 Brazilian election. The Oversight Board, whose recommendations are non-binding, expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Meta’s election integrity efforts in light of this decision.
The board stated that considering the speaker’s intent, the content of the speech, its reach, and the potential for imminent harm, removing the post would have been justified. Meta eventually took down the video on January 20, following the board’s involvement in the case. As the United States prepares for its upcoming presidential elections, Meta’s election preparedness efforts have come under scrutiny.
Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, are among the most widely used social media platforms globally, but they have faced criticism in the past for enabling the spread of misinformation and incitement of violence. In 2020, Meta acknowledged that certain Russian groups had exploited its platforms to influence US voters during the 2016 elections, which resulted in the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Furthermore, Meta was one of the social media platforms that suspended former US President Donald Trump in 2021 following the deadly Capitol Hill riot on January 6, as it determined that he had incited violence. However, Trump was reinstated earlier this year.
In response to the Oversight Board’s recommendations, Meta stated that it currently lacks specific metrics to evaluate the success of its overall election integrity efforts.
Established in late 2020, the Oversight Board’s role is to review decisions made by Facebook and Instagram regarding the removal or retention of certain content. It has the authority to uphold or overturn the actions taken by the social media company.
