Facebook on Tuesday released a charter for an “independent oversight board” to govern content on the social media platform. The company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said the oversight board would keep Facebook accountable to users just as the board of directors keeps it accountable to shareholders.
In a statement, Zuckerberg said the oversight board would give users a way to appeal against Facebook’s content decisions. “If someone disagrees with a decision we have made, they can appeal to us first, and soon they will be able to further appeal to this independent board,” he said. “The board’s decision will be binding, even if I or anyone at Facebook disagrees with it.”
The board will use Facebook’s values to inform its decisions and explain its reasoning openly and in a way that protects people’s privacy, Zuckerberg said. It will have up to 40 members, who will serve three-year terms.
Facebook will also create a separate independent trust that will ensure the oversight board is not subject to influence from company executives, AFP reported.
“The board will be an advocate for our community – supporting people’s right to free expression, and making sure we fulfil our responsibility to keep people safe,” Zuckerberg said. “As an independent organization, we hope it gives people confidence that their views will be heard, and that Facebook doesn’t have the ultimate power over their expression.”
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