Meta’s Oversight Board, the external advisory group, declared on Thursday that it is broadening its jurisdiction to include Threads, in addition to Facebook and Instagram, to scrutinize Meta’s decisions regarding content moderation.
Users on Threads now have the option to appeal to the Oversight Board if dissatisfied with Meta’s determinations on issues such as content or account takedowns.
Co-chair of the Oversight Board, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, emphasized the significance of independent accountability for a new app like Threads and stated, “The Board’s expansion to Threads builds on our foundation of helping Meta solve the most difficult questions around content moderation.”
Threads, launched in July last year, has faced user inquiries about its moderation practices. Reports in October revealed that the platform was blocking terms like “Covid” and “vaccines” as well as explicit content-related words. Despite initial mentions of the ban being temporary, it remains in effect to date.
Earlier this month, Threads announced the implementation of a fact-checking program, affixing labels to some posts. However, the company clarified that this was due to matching fact checks from Meta’s other properties rather than a separate program specifically for Threads.
Catalina Botero Marino, co-chair of the Oversight Board, noted the increasing challenges in content moderation, citing global conflicts, upcoming elections, and the complexities introduced by advances in artificial intelligence.
The process for appealing Meta’s decisions on Threads remains unchanged. Users must first appeal to Meta, and if dissatisfied with the verdict, they can appeal to the Oversight Board within 15 days.
The board can take up to 90 days to review the decision from the date of appeal. While the board and Meta have faced criticism for response delays in the past, there are currently no alterations to the existing processes for Threads.
