Meta Platforms has been strongly criticised by its independent Oversight Board for recent changes to how it handles content on its platforms. The board said Meta made the changes very quickly, without properly checking the possible risks. In January, just before the U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term, Meta stopped its U.S. fact-checking programme and relaxed rules around sensitive topics like immigration and gender identity.
The company also decided to stop actively searching for posts that break some of its less serious rules.
The Oversight Board said it was worried Meta did not follow its usual steps or carry out proper checks on how the changes might affect people. It cautioned that the new approach could harm users in parts of the world facing violence or political conflict.
Many believe the changes are part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s effort to improve relations with conservatives, who have long accused the platform of censoring right-wing views. When announcing the changes, Zuckerberg said, without providing any clear examples of how past efforts to control harmful content had caused “too many mistakes and too much censorship.”
The Oversight Board recently reviewed several cases under the new rules. It agreed with Meta in some cases—such as allowing posts about transgender people using public bathrooms—but also told the company to take down posts with racist slurs.
The board also made 17 suggestions to improve Meta’s content rules. These included clearer definitions of hate speech, better action against bullying, and regular checks on a new tool called Community Notes, which lets users add context to posts instead of relying on outside fact-checkers.
Also Read: US Senate committee probes into Meta’s efforts to gain access to China
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