Meta’s independent Oversight Board, often dubbed the “supreme court” for platforms including Facebook and Instagram, is planning to make job cuts, according to reports.
Business Insider reports that Meta’s Oversight Board, the independent body responsible for reviewing and making decisions about content moderation on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is gearing up for a round of layoffs. The Washington Post first reported that the board last week informed some employees that their jobs were at risk, citing an unnamed source.
The cuts are expected to impact staff members who support the 22 experts, including leftist academics and lawyers, tasked with evaluating and ruling on content moderation cases across Meta’s platforms. While the exact number of positions to be eliminated remains undisclosed, the move signals a restructuring within the board’s operations.
Established by Meta (formerly Facebook) in late 2018 and operational since October 2020, the Oversight Board was initially funded with a $130 million grant from the company, followed by an additional $120 million infusion in 2022. The board operates independently from Meta, with the stated goal of holding the tech giant accountable for its content moderation practices and advocating for transparency and fairness.
In a statement to Business Insider, Stephen Neal, the chair of the Oversight Board Trust, confirmed the plans for “targeted cuts.” Neal explained that the reductions aim to “further optimize our operations by prioritizing the most impactful aspects of our work that are delivering results for millions of people who use Meta’s platforms around the world.”
Despite the layoffs, Neal assured that Meta remains committed to the board’s success and that the Oversight Board Trust is confident the company will continue to provide funding. He emphasized the board’s determination to “continue to take the hardest cases, keep holding Meta to account, while working to improve how people across the world experience Facebook, Instagram and Threads.”
A Meta representative also reaffirmed the company’s support for the Oversight Board, stating that it “values the board’s perspective and plans to continue updating policies and practices in response to its feedback.”
While the Oversight Board operates independently, the layoffs raise concerns about Meta’s ability to effectively police misinformation on its platforms, particularly as the 2024 US presidential election approaches. Regulators have already expressed apprehension that Meta’s content moderation efforts may not be robust enough to address the risks posed by political advertising and the potential impact on electoral processes.
The rise of AI-generated content and deepfakes has added a new layer of complexity to the content moderation landscape, with many platforms struggling to keep up with the surge of fake visual content online. Meta recently announced plans to expand its “Made with AI” labeling system to cover a wider range of AI-generated audio, video, and images, following a recommendation from the Oversight Board.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.