The Facebook Oversight Board's Future Ambitions

Though recently established, the Facebook Oversight Board is already contemplating its long-term trajectory.

During a discussion facilitated by the Carnegie Endowment on Thursday, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Oversight Board’s co-chair and former Danish Prime Minister, outlined a potentially wider role for the organization, extending beyond simply ruling on Facebook’s content policies.

Expanding the Scope of Oversight

Thorning-Schmidt suggested that, should the project demonstrate success, “other platforms and tech companies would be welcome to participate in the oversight mechanisms we are developing.”

She clarified that this expanded vision is a future consideration, with the board’s immediate focus being to move away from policy determinations being made internally within the company, in what she described as a “closed box.”

“Historically, content moderation has largely been the responsibility of individuals within companies like Facebook or Twitter – figures such as Mark Zuckerberg or other platform executives,” Thorning-Schmidt explained.

“For the first time, we are witnessing content moderation occurring independently of a major social media platform. This development, I believe, is genuinely historic.”

Defending the Board’s Autonomy

These statements reflect the broader aspirations of Facebook’s Oversight Board, which identifies itself simply as the “Oversight Board” on its official website, omitting any explicit mention of Facebook.

Throughout the panel discussion, representatives of the Oversight Board actively defended the project against criticism. Concerns have been raised regarding the board’s origins and whether genuine independence from Facebook is achievable.

“Many are quick to dismiss the Oversight Board and seek alternative solutions,” stated Dex Hunter-Torricke, Head of Communications for the Oversight Board.

Hunter-Torricke, who previously held a role on the Facebook executive communications team and served as a speechwriter for both Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, also alluded to a more expansive future for the board.

A Model for Future Governance

“We are currently testing a model to determine if this type of institution can effectively address content moderation challenges within Facebook,” Hunter-Torricke said. He further indicated that the board intends to “evolve and grow” based on its experiences with Facebook’s moderation cases.

“…As we accumulate expertise and a track record in handling Facebook moderation issues, I anticipate the board’s capabilities will expand,” Hunter-Torricke added. “We are on a developmental path, and while the ultimate destination remains uncertain, we are committed to refining and testing this model.”

TechCrunch inquired with the Oversight Board regarding its vision as a potential external governing body for social networks beyond Facebook.

Hunter-Torricke responded to TechCrunch, stating that the group was established “to evaluate a model for online governance that could be applicable to numerous other services in the long term, not solely Facebook.”

“Content moderation presents a significant challenge for many platforms, and the Oversight Board believes that fewer critical decisions should be made unilaterally by companies,” Hunter-Torricke emphasized.

The Trump Case and Ongoing Considerations

Currently, Facebook’s Oversight Board is deliberating a highly significant case: whether to reinstate former President Donald Trump, who was removed from Facebook following his role in inciting the events that led to the attack on the U.S. Capitol in early January.

A panel of five members, selected from the board’s 20 members, will evaluate the Trump case, although the specific members assigned to each case remain undisclosed.

The decision of these five members must then be approved by a majority vote of the entire board. A verdict is anticipated within the next two months.

Key Personnel Changes and Public Input

Pamela Karlan, a prominent Trump critic and legal scholar, recently departed from the board to join the Biden administration and will not participate in the decision regarding Trump’s reinstatement.

Karlan previously testified during Trump’s first impeachment hearing, asserting that his actions constituted impeachable offenses.

The board is currently accepting public comments on the Trump case until Friday, aiming to incorporate “diverse perspectives” into its decision-making process.

On Thursday, Alex Stamos, former Facebook Chief Security Officer, co-signed a public letter advocating for the continued removal of Trump from Facebook. The authors argued that “without social media disseminating Trump’s statements, the events as they unfolded seem highly improbable.”

“Any policy permitting the deplatforming of political leaders in extreme situations will inevitably involve difficult judgments. This case, however, did not present such a dilemma.”