Meta Withdraws Supervisory Board Moderating Content Related To The Russo-Ukrainian War

JAKARTA - Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms Inc, announced on Wednesday, May 11 that it has withdrawn a request for policy guidance from the Supervisory Board on content moderation from posts related to Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine.

"This decision was not made lightly - PAO (policy advisory opinion) was withdrawn due to ongoing safety and security concerns," the company said in a blog post, quoted by Reuters.

The board, which can make binding decisions on tough content moderation appeals and provide policy recommendations, said it was "disappointed" by the decision.

A Meta spokesperson declined to provide further information about the policy it is seeking guidance on or about a specific issue.

Russia banned Facebook and Instagram last March, found Meta guilty of "extremist activity" amid Moscow's crackdown on social media during its invasion of Ukraine. Meta messaging service, WhatsApp, is not affected by the ban. Russia has also “strangled” Twitter by slowing down its service.

The Meta Oversight Board, which includes academics, rights experts, and lawyers, is created by the company as an independent body to regulate a small number of content moderation cases, but can also advise on site policy.

"While the Board understands these concerns, we believe the request raises important issues and are disappointed by the company's decision to withdraw it," the Board of Trustees said in a tweet on Wednesday.

"It's important for companies to defend freedom of expression and human rights is increasing," they added.