Oversight Board to review Meta's handling of violent content amid Israel-Hamas conflict

The independent Oversight Board of Meta has announced that it will review the company's handling of violent content on its social media platforms in two cases related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. These cases will be the first to use a new expedited review mechanism that requires the board to make decisions within 30 days, rather than its typical deliberation period of several months. The decision to review these cases comes as social media platforms have been inundated with violent, hateful, and misleading content during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

After a particularly violent attack by Hamas on Israeli towns, Meta temporarily lowered its threshold for removing potentially harmful content, including posts that clearly identified hostages taken by Hamas. The company has also faced accusations of suppressing expressions of support for Palestinians living under Israel's military response in Gaza. One case to be reviewed by the board involves the removal of a video on Instagram showing the aftermath of an explosion at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, including injured and dead children. Meta restored the content with a warning screen after the board selected the case for review.

The other case involves a video on Facebook showing a woman begging her kidnappers not to kill her as she is driven away on a motorbike. This video was also initially taken down by Meta, but was later restored with a warning screen in response to trends around how hostage kidnapping videos were being shared. In a statement, Meta expressed its welcome of the Oversight Board's review and pledged to implement its decision in each case. The review by the Oversight Board highlights the challenges social media platforms face in moderating violent and harmful content during international conflicts.