PARIS: Social networking platforms should provide clear, consistent rules for when they will ban accounts permanently and provide affected users with information and avenues for appeal, Meta’s independent Oversight Board said Thursday.
The board — often referred to as the “supreme court” for the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram — made the recommendations as part of a review of a permanent ban issued to an Instagram account that threatened a journalist.
“Meta was correct to permanently disable the account because of... severe threats of violence” including posting pictures of the woman journalist with a bullseye superimposed over her face, the board said.
But “the case raises concerns over due process and proportionality regarding account governance and the clarity of Meta’s rules,” it added.
Made up of prominent figures from academia, media and civil society, the Oversight Board is a last resort for punished or banned Meta users, examining the company’s compliance with its own policies and global human rights standards.
