Meta’s Oversight Board: First Empirical Insights

Abstract

In this study, the empirical insights on Meta's newly established Oversight Board (OB) are outlined through the analysis of its first decisions and policies related to hate speech. In order to better understand the OB's considerations, some particular characteristics that involve its composition and organisation are presented. Against this background, a joint analysis of all of OB's decisions is conducted, including the cases' characteristics, standards, user statements, Meta's considerations, public involvement in the submission, and also the OB's analysis, recommendations, and final decision. As a result, the decisions appear to stem from characteristics that already appertain to hate speech and are intensified in virtual contexts. The analysis of this ambitious mechanism provided valuable information about content moderation in Meta and transparent public reasoning.

Keywords: freedom of expression, hate speech, internet, social networks, Facebook, Instagram, platform governance, content moderation