Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
Originally published on May 7, 2021 11:28 am
Facebook has almost 2 billion daily users, annual revenue that rivals some countries gross domestic product, and even its own version of a Supreme Court: the Oversight Board, which the company created to review its toughest decisions on what people can post on its platforms.
This week, the board faced its biggest test to date when it ruled on whether Facebook should let former President Donald Trump back on its social network.
The board upheld the company s decision to remove Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol finding he had broken Facebook s rules about praising violence but it criticized the indefinite suspension and kicked the case back to the company either to ban Trump permanently or set a time frame for when he can return.
The Technology 202: Facebook Oversight Board members defend their Trump decision washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Even Pocahontas agrees with Trump! Elizabeth Warren says Donald s Facebook ban proves Big Tech is too powerful and slams arrogant Zuckerberg for calling his Oversight Board a Supreme Court
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday that Facebook upholding its ban on Trump s account proves Big Tech is way too powerful
She also called CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrogant for calling Facebook s Oversight Board its Supreme Court Missed the part where those people had hearings in front of Congress, and were voted on before they were made decision makers with this kind of authority
Warren said she still support Trump not being on those platforms
In Wednesday s announcement of the oversight board ruling, it said Facebook was right to suspend Trump s accounts in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol due to the threat of imminent harm and Trump s praise of the violent rioters in violation of Facebook s policies.
But, it said, the indefinite time frame was inappropriate, and the board refused to take on what it saw as Facebook s obligation to create its own policies. In applying a vague, standardless penalty and then referring this case to the Board to resolve, Facebook seeks to avoid its responsibilities, wrote the board, an independent committee of 20 outside experts. The Board declines Facebook s request and insists that Facebook apply and justify a defined penalty.
Share on Twitter
Facebook s independent oversight board has upheld a ban on former US president Donald Trump while ordering further review of the case, in a decision with a potentially far-reaching impact on the regulation of online speech.
Mr Trump, whose political influence has arguably been severely curtailed by the loss of his social media presence, responded with a statement slamming bans by the leading social network and other online giants as a total disgrace.
The oversight board, whose decisions are binding on Facebook, said Mr Trump had created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible with his comments regarding the 6 January rampage by his supporters at the US Capitol.