Facebook announced Prof Sudhir Krishnaswam NLSIU VC as part of an independent content oversight board out of 20 members . This board would have the power to decide on the deletion of controversial posts on the social media platform, overturning the company’s own content moderation decisions.
The board members would decide on content-related appeals from Facebook and Instagram users, and deal with questions from Facebook as well. Final decisions on whether the content should be deleted or not would be based on group discussions. Members were selected for the board from around the world, and include journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, judges and academics. It is also reported that eventually, the board will have around 40 members, which Facebook will help pick.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is looking to constitute a body for independent governance and oversight, whose decisions would be transparent and binding, opining that,
“Facebook should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own.”
In a broader blueprint outlined for content governance and enforcement at the time, Zuckerberg further stated,
“Over time, I believe this body will play an important role in our overall governance. Just as our board of directors is accountable to our shareholders, this body would be focused only on our community. Both are important, and I believe will help us serve everyone better over the long term.”
