Facebook Oversight Board to launch for US election

The independent board confirmed to CNBC that it expects to start reviewing election-related content posted on Facebook from mid-to-late October.

The board will rule on appeals from Facebook and Instagram users and questions from Facebook itself, although it will have to pick and choose which content moderation cases to take.

“We are currently testing the newly deployed technical systems that will allow users to appeal and the Board to review cases. Assuming those tests go to plan, we expect to open user appeals in mid to late October.”

They added: “Building a process that is thorough, principled and globally effective takes time and our members have been working aggressively to launch as soon as possible.”

Facebook has been criticised for allowing the spread of fake news on its website and not cracking down on hackers trying to meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections.

It is now trying to demonstrate it is ready to deal with these issues. The independent board will receive cases through a content management system linked to Facebook and after a group discussion there will be a final decision on whether the content should remain on the site.

When Facebook announced its plans to create the board in 2018, it said that it’s members are a globally diverse group with lawyers, journalists, human rights advocates and other academics.

Notable members include Alan Rusbridger, former editor in chief of The Guardian newspaper, and Andras Sajo, a former judge and VP of the European Court of Human Rights.

Facebook pledged to give the board $130m in funding last December.