Real Facebook Oversight Board Profile picture
Sep 13, 2021 13 tweets 5 min read Read on X
Today’s bombshell report in @WSJ [@JeffHorwitz] that Facebook allowed at least 5.8m VIP users to be exempt from its TOS enforcement is yet another example of Facebook’s complete failure to responsibly moderate content or oversee its own platforms. /1
wsj.com/articles/faceb…
The WSJ reporting outlines how Facebook "whitelists" or gives preferential treatment to VIP Facebook users making them (at times) exempt to immune from standard content moderation practices and terms of service guidelines. The list of VIP users is called "XCheck." /2
Those whitelisted included political figures such as the former President and his son, Candace Owens, Senator Elizabeth Warren, as well as athletes like Neymar and Mark Zuckerberg himself. /3
WSJ: Neymar was allowed to post "revenge porn" on his Facebook account after a woman accused him of rape. Facebook content moderators were blocked from intervening and the post racked up 56 million views before it was taken down. Neymar's account faced no consequences. /4
In June 2020, Trump's "looting and shooting" Facebook post that company executives decided to leave up was judged to have scored a 90 out of 100, "indicating a high likelihood it violated the platform’s rules." /5
One major issue: Government officials, typically incumbents, who enjoyed "XCheck" status were exempt from certain Facebook moderation standards while their challengers (non-incumbents) were not whitelisted. It grants incumbents an advantage. /6
The report also outlines how simple it was for employees to add to the XCheck list with little reason. Eligibility qualifications for the list included users who might be a "PR risk" to the company and were given preferential treatment simply because they were that. /7
Worse yet, Facebook knew that the XCheck system was problematic for the company. It posed legal, compliance, and legitimacy risks according to a 2019 internal audit. Yet the XCheck list continued to be used through the 2020 election. /8
Facebook also misled its own Oversight Board over its enforcement systems showing exactly how ineffective the body is. If it can't be expected to be honest with its own Oversight Board, what's the point of the Oversight Board and how can the public trust it? /9
This weak statement from the Oversight Board does not outline any steps to show how Facebook is going to win the trust of the Oversight Board nor how the Oversight Board is actually going to finally provide adequate oversight over Facebook. /10
This story demonstrates that the only thing to get Facebook even recognize problems is public pressure. That's why RFOB was formed and that's why we are shining a light on @JeffHorwitz's fantastic reporting. The company simply doesn't respond to anything else. /11
It began with Cambridge Analytica, it was apparent in the former President's "looting and shooting" post, it's clear with Facebook's treatment of NYU researchers, it is exemplified in its lack of action during Jan 6th, and it's brought us to this WSJ report. Public pressure. /12
Read our statement here. /13
rfob.medium.com/stunning-repor…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Real Facebook Oversight Board

Real Facebook Oversight Board Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @FBoversight

Jul 27, 2023
Through the new IT Rules, the Indian govt gave itself major control of content moderation decisions over Big Tech firms.

This provided the legal framework for the crushing of dissent and the spread of hate by Modi's supporters.

Meta is again bowing to Modi here 👇
The new rules have been an active threat to freedom of expression since their approval in 2021, and the situation has worsened with new amendments approved in 2023

@techpolicypress has a useful explainer

techpolicy.press/indias-it-rule…
Read 7 tweets
Jul 27, 2022
🔴 Facebook Q2 in three numbers (a thread):

4️⃣ - page length of summary Independent Human Rights Impact Assessment Meta released on harms in India, after promising to release the full report.

about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ - posts about abortion access censored by Facebook in the 2 days following the overturning of Roe v. Wade
apnews.com/article/aborti…
1️⃣0️⃣ - times you can violate Facebook’s ban on gun purchases before you’re account is suspended
washingtonpost.com/technology/202…
Read 4 tweets
Jul 14, 2022
🚨NEW STATEMENT

Meta Whitewashes Human Rights Impact In First Annual Human Rights Report

"Meta/Facebook always puts PR first, and today’s first ever “Human Rights Report” is a master class in spin and obfuscation."

Full statement here rfob.medium.com/meta-whitewash…
Ignoring their long-delayed Human Rights Impact Assessment on violations in India, Meta instead issues an inadequate “summary,” whitewashing the religious violence fomented in India across their platforms Image
Beyond India, the report is a work of fiction, denial and willful ignorance, on

1. Content moderation in Kenya and brave whistleblower #DanielMoutang Image
Read 9 tweets
May 5, 2022
BREAKING via @WSJ: Facebook Deliberately Caused Havoc in Australia to Influence New Law, Whistleblowers Say
wsj.com/articles/faceb…
Remember when Facebook randomly suspended some accounts in Australia including the National Fire Service, public health accounts, and yours truly @FBoversight
According to documents filed by a whistleblower, the goal was to exert maximum pressure over the Australian Parliament
Read 9 tweets
Apr 28, 2022
"It’s Time to Open the Black Box of Social Media" @noUpside, @EthanZ, @BrendanNyhan and RFOB's @LauraEdelson2 for @sciam
scientificamerican.com/article/its-ti…
The authors pose F I V E big questions/ideas:
🔵 Research suggests that misinformation is often more engaging than other types of content. Why is this the case?
🔵 Research shows that the delivery optimization techniques that social media companies use to maximize revenue and even ad delivery algorithms themselves can be discriminatory.
Read 7 tweets
Apr 27, 2022
🚨BREAKING🚨: Our Q1 Facebook Quarterly Harms Report is out (cc: @Avaaz)

🔵New Research Shows Russian Disinformation Proliferating

🔵Globally, 62% Of #1 News Posts In Q1 Were From Known Dis-Informers
rfob.medium.com/facebook-meta-…
@Avaaz RT and Sputnik saw large increases in interactions, especially in non-English content including Arabic, Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese, and Spanish ImageImage
Russian propaganda via RT and Sputnik spread like wildfire across Facebook ⬇️ ImageImage
Read 8 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(