11-15, 15:00–16:00 (Asia/Beirut), Spaceship 001
In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of the complexities of content moderation as well as learn about how the Oversight Board shapes Meta’s online content governance. The Board was set up in 2020 to answer the most difficult questions around freedom of expression, deciding what to take down, what to leave up, and why. By seeing potential cases from around the world, and the various competing elements in each, the audience will learn how and why cases are selected and how a case from one country impacts global moderation on issues like hate speech.
This is an interactive session allowing participants to understand the role of the Oversight Board for Meta by becoming Board Members themselves for an hour. In the main presentation, the Board will talk participants briefly through its work before explaining the criteria it uses to determine if it should take the case. So far, the Board has received more than one million case appeals, but selected less than 30 cases. It only chooses the most challenging and controversial posts that will have far-reaching consequences – for instance harmful types of content from one conflict zone that would impact posts in another.
Participants will then be presented with real examples of content posted on Facebook and Instagram – spanning a wide range of global examples on issues like hate speech, disinformation and bullying. They will work among themselves to determine whether, as the Board, they would take on a particular case. This can be done in a breakout room on Zoom or with small in-person group or both. Members of the Board will help in these discussions and deliberations, answering group questions as needed before bringing the group back to facilitate a wider conversation about which case, or cases, were chosen by the participants and why. Participants will also be encouraged to come up with suggestions on whether the content should go up or stay down, and be invited to come up with policy recommendations that would impact global content moderation practices and standards.
Rachel Wolbers is the Head of Global Engagement at the Oversight Board where she handles stakeholder engagement on cases and policy issues. Prior to the Oversight Board, she was an internet policy specialist with the Office of International Affairs at the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Before NTIA, Rachel was the policy director at Engine, a non-profit technology policy, research and advocacy organization that bridges the gap between policymakers and startups. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill for several years. Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree in international economics from George Washington University and a juris doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University, where she served as the managing editor of the university’s Journal of Law, Technology and the Internet.
Francesca Scapolo is a Content and Editorial Officer at the Oversight Board, where she runs all social media engagement. Prior to this, Francesca worked on Trust and Safety issues at the European Commission.