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Facebook Wouldn’t Share Information On Special Treatment Of Powerful Users, Oversight Board Says

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This article is more than 2 years old.
Updated Apr 21, 2022, 08:17am EDT

Topline

Facebook’s Oversight Board released a scathing report on Thursday accusing the embattled social media company of downplaying and refusing to share information on a program it has in place that exempts high-profile users from its rules.

Key Facts

The oversight board began investigating the program, known internally as “XCheck” or “cross-check,” after details about how it results in special treatment for VIP users like politicians and celebrities were made public in a Wall Street Journal investigation last month.

The oversight board said in its quarterly report that the company repeatedly “failed to provide relevant information” about the program or offered up information that was incomplete.

One example was that Facebook did not mention the “XCheck” program when asked by the board about its decision to ban former President Donald Trump, only referencing it when asked directly “whether Mr. Trump’s page or account had been subject to ordinary content moderation processes.”

Facebook downplayed how often the “XCheck” systems were used, eventually walking back statements about it impacting only a “small number of decisions,” according to the oversight board.

The company also refused to provide “meaningful transparency” about the criteria that results in a page or profile becoming part of the program, which reportedly impacts nearly 6 million users, the board said.

The oversight board said it has launched a review of “XCheck” at the request of Facebook and will draft recommendations on how to overhaul the system.

Chief Critic

“The credibility of the Oversight Board, our working relationship with Facebook, and our ability to render sound judgements on cases all depend on being able to trust that information provided to us by Facebook is accurate, comprehensive, and paints a full picture of the topic at hand,” said the oversight board.

Crucial Quote

Facebook in a statement to Forbes praised the work of the board as “impactful” and said it will “strive to be clearer in our explanations going forward.”

Key Background

Facebook—which has long been the target of scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators—is fielding renewed criticism following a recent series of reports from The Journal about its business practices. On top of the revelations about “XCheck,” the reports highlighted issues like a reluctance to change the Facebook algorithm to reduce divisive content and misinformation and previously published internal research about the harmful impacts of its photo-sharing app Instagram. A former Facebook employee turned whistleblower, Frances Haugen, testified about these alleged problems before Congress earlier this month, accusing the company of putting “astronomical profits before people.” Facebook has in turn batted away many of these accusations, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg decrying Haugen’s testimony as a “false picture of the company.” 

Surprising Fact

In the midst of the scrutiny, Facebook is moving full steam ahead with plans to shift its focus toward creating a so-called “metaverse,” an idea for a world that blurs the lines between the digital and the physical.  The company earlier this week unveiled plans to hire 10,000 people across the European Union for this purpose and may funnel billions of dollars into the efforts, according to Facebook’s Chief Financial Officer David Wehner. The social media giant is also planning to change its name to reflect the change in its vision, The Verge reported this week.

Further Reading 

“Facebook Reportedly Allowed Powerful Users To Break Platform Rules” (Forbes)

“Facebook Internal Research Found Instagram Can Be Very Harmful To Young Girls, Report Says” (Forbes)

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