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MANILA, Philippines – A group of journalists, critics and academics from around the world, including Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, have created an independent oversight board from Facebook that seeks to hold the social media giant accountable for its inaction against Right-wing extremists and supremacists who use the platform to weaponize disinformation and legitimize violence.
Facebook’s “Royal Oversight Board,” said British journalist and Pulitzer finalist Carole Cadwalladr, was formed as an “emergency response,” especially as the United States draws ever closer to a critical midterm election while still reeling from months of fierce racial protests amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In May, Facebook announced that it would form its own quasi-independent oversight board that could recommend content moderation and compliance measures. This followed immense public pressure for its creator, Mark Zuckerberg, to take responsibility for the site, as it becomes a breeding ground for extremism and “fake news.”
“There are awesome academics on the Facebook oversight board that he created, and we … really hope they can do something,” Cadwalladr said. “But (the reality is) the board will not immediately hold Facebook to account at this critical time.”
“That was the point of doing this. This is an emergency response given the risks, we are sounding the alarm that (Facebook) could really be used to destroy American democracy, ”he added.
Shoshanna Zuboff, a Harvard professor and author of “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism,” said the group “demands comprehensive action to ensure that Facebook is not used as a weapon to undermine the vote and with it American democracy.”
“Now we are approaching the 59th minute at the 11th hour of the US crisis and the time for excuses and political agreements is over,” he added. “This is an emergency intervention directed at Mr. Zuckerberg and his employees.”
And the consequences of their continued inaction are dire, noted US civil rights leader Rashad Robinson. In recent weeks, white supremacists have been using Facebook to organize online militias, culminating in the Kenosha shooting on September 4 in which two people were killed.
“Our blood will have to be spilled before Facebook does anything, unless the legislators and all those who enabled Facebook step up and do something. This is our opportunity to set a new course, ”he said.
Meanwhile, Ressa, whose own experiences with disinformation catapulted her to a prominent figure in calls to make Facebook more accountable, warned that these consequences unfolding in the US may also extend to the Philippines.
“I understand the role of Facebook, we all do it. But we also understand its immense power, ”he said. “We want Facebook to take these actions to protect democracy not just in the US, but the global South (as it) suffers the most. The way it is now, as it comes to them, we will get the worst of it, ”he added.
JE
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