Within weeks following the Isreal-Hamas conflict, major social media platforms faced criticism for hosting hateful and misleading content related to the conflict. Platforms such as YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and X (previously known as Twitter) received warnings from European Union officials not to violate the EU content moderation laws. The social media giants are at risk of paying billions of dollars in fines if found guilty.
So much for freedom of speech, the United States and British lawmakers also reached out to social media platforms to emphasize the need to enforce their rules against hateful and illegal content. Meta, the Facebook parent company, established the Oversight Board just for this purpose. Meta’s Oversight Board, which consists of experts on human rights and freedom of expression, is considered the Meta Supreme Court.
Content Reviews
On Thursday, the Meta Oversight Board reviewed two content moderation decisions concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict content. The board decided to take this route as content decisions could have urgent real-world consequences if not handled correctly.
In an interview with CNN in October, Meta stated that it had established a group of experts including Hebrew and Arabic speakers, and third-party fact-checkers to closely monitor, analyze, and respond to the situation in what it calls a special operations center.
In early November, a video was posted on Instagram showing the aftermath of a strike that appears to be outside the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The video depicts people, including children who were injured or killed, lying on the ground crying with a caption in Arabic that states the hospital was targeted by the usurping occupation.
Initially, Meta took down the post but after a user made an appeal to the video, it was made viewable with a warning of its disturbing graphical content. This is just one of the countless content floating around the platform today.
The board is reviewing these cases and is expected to disclose its decisions within the next 30 days. In a blog post on Thursday, Meta shared that it plans to implement the Board’s decision in each case. Stating the Oversight Board’s “guidance in these cases, along with feedback from other experts, will help us to continue to develop our policies and response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.”