Panel criticizes Facebook policy on prominent users

The panel appointed by Facebook to review its policy decisions sharply criticized the company Thursday for not being transparent about an internal program that gives prominent users preferential treatment on the social network.

The group, known as the Facebook Oversight Board, said Facebook failed to provide relevant information about a system called cross check, which was first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal and exempts high-profile users from rules like those prohibiting harassment or incitement to violence that others on the platform must follow.

The board said the lack of transparency had harmed its ability to rule on Facebook’s decisions to remove or keep online content posted by users, including when the company banned former President Donald Trump.

The Oversight Board is a courtlike body that consists of about 20 former political leaders, human rights activists and journalists picked by Facebook to consider the company’s content decisions.

“The credibility of the Oversight Board, our working relationship with Facebook, and our ability to render sound judgments on cases all depend on being able to trust that information provided to us by Facebook is accurate, comprehensive, and paints a full picture of the topic at hand,” the group said in a blog post after publishing the report.

On Thursday, the group criticized Facebook for not being open with users about policies that led some content to be deleted. The group said it had received more than half a million appeals from users trying to understand why something was taken off the site.

“We know these cases are just the tip of the iceberg,” the group said. “Right now, it’s clear that by not being transparent with users, Facebook is not treating them fairly.”