Meta Shows Willingness to Revamp Cross Check Program

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced changes to its cross check program following recommendations from the Oversight Board. The program exempts high-profile users from the company’s automated moderation system but has been criticized for prioritizing business concerns over human rights commitments. Meta has pledged to increase transparency by regularly reporting on the program and adjusting the criteria used to add users to the program to better account for human rights interests and equity.

The Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews Meta’s content moderation decisions, made 32 recommendations for improving the cross-check program in December 2021. Meta has agreed to fully implement 11 of those recommendations and partially adopt 15 others. The Board had criticized the program for shielding politicians, celebrities, and popular athletes from automated moderation and for its lack of transparency.

Meta’s response to the Oversight Board’s recommendations includes a commitment to reducing the cross-check program’s backlog and taking immediate action on cross-checked content that is potentially severely violating. However, the company is still assessing the feasibility of allowing figures to opt out of the program and has declined several recommendations, including publicly marking those benefitting from the program and notifying users of potential delays in taking action on reported content.

While the Oversight Board has called Meta’s response a “landmark moment,” it isn’t completely satisfied with the changes the company’s willing to make. The Board is pushing for greater transparency and equity in the cross-check program, including the ability for deserving users to apply for the program’s protections. Therefore, the Oversight Board plans to continue to review Meta’s specific responses in the coming weeks.

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