Techdirt Podcast Episode 282: The Facebook Oversight Board's Trump Decision
from the high-profile dept
Last week, the Oversight Board made its highest profile decision yet: upholding Facebook’s suspension of Donald Trump, though with the caveat that it needs clearer policy reasons to make the suspension indefinite. Unsurprisingly, a whole lot of people have a whole lot of opinions on this, and we wanted to learn more about the decision from the source. Julie Owono is an Oversight Board member and the Executive Director of Internet Sans Frontières, and she joins us on this week’s episode to discuss how this decision was reached and what it means for Facebook.
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Filed Under: content moderation, donald trump
Companies: facebook, oversight board
Comments on “Techdirt Podcast Episode 282: The Facebook Oversight Board's Trump Decision”
A flaw in the board
I think a fundament flaw in the design of the Board is that none of the members have experience in real, day to day, content moderation. It consists of Politicians, Academics, Journalists and Lawyers… I highly doubt they’ve ever needed to get in the trenches and make the tough calls, day after day.
This push back on Facebook to define and defend "Indefinite Suspension" is a clear sign of that lack of knowledge. "Indefinite Suspension" is, for all intents and purposes, a permanent ban. That said, anyone who has done serious moderation can tell you that even <quote>Permanent</quote> bans, can and should be reversed in some cases. People learn, grow and sometimes even show remorse or apologize for their actions and words. A site or app can and possibly should revisit these removals when asked.
This case was unique, but unique cases will continue to refine the rules and policies of Facebook’s content moderation efforts. Nitpicking over the wording of an announcement made in haste while dealing with a volatile situation, seems more performative than a real attempt at improving Facebook policies.
Re: A flaw in the board
What Facebook (I have account that is more placeholder; check it and go.) did as concept of hooking up with people became a hollow attempt at Customer Service by Brands. Then election campaigns, and then egotistical officials who are offended if someone calls out their bull shit. The public part is what makes these people unhinged. The old days the voter or critic did not have access – newspapers and fixers did the messy cleaning.
Hollywood and elected officials did not deal with "people" except in a controlled event. TV and radio insulated them. Life was good.
Did anyone ever IRC with campaign website? To hard for staff. Not free.
Twitter and Facebook could have avoided politicians by not allowing them. Forums which are very topic directed plus it is not a message system has MODS. OP going on a noisy rant does not go very far — I send OP to Off-Topic. Bad hair day. Next time that OP goes ranting in double posts or starts posts of crazy shit — (A) is this person usually a good poster? (B) Is this just Trolling? if(A) week off by lock . If (B) good bye forever.
Using rules from Forum Era on a real-time message system is why fail is the norm. The people on twitter are just as bad as they wish to be and Facebook is just — Fk FB for thinking a hookup site should invite the absolute worst people in "for conversation" ; these people don’t converse they mandate. In their mind they are above reproach. (but now that it is obvious and kicking them out is not going to work).
Back to that elite board, it must be for PR reasons. Sure FB you must define forever because, forever is stretchy for strategy folks.
Damn, operating a legal Porn site wold be a snooze because it is not a message system unless it is designed for it. See, gov’ment hammered on that until it got its way, many very bad laws so far.
The Board seems to be confused by basic procedure – bad gets tossed in the trunk and the cop on the take buries OP in the swamp. If it is covered by 1st Amendment that is the boards job. Get it. However the success of fixing Hunan Nature is science fiction.
I’m done.