Oversight Board Instructs Meta to Keep Moderating COVID-19 Content

The Oversight Board, an entity formed and backed by Meta Platforms to increase the transparency of its content moderation efforts, has issued a report today where it recommends the parent company of Facebook to keep moderating all content related to COVID-19 to avoid the spread of misinformation and fake news.

This response comes up roughly 9 months after Meta asked the Board to review its approach to content moderation related to the pandemic and information concerning the COVID-19 virus considering that the development of vaccines and therapeutic treatments for the disease have reduced the severity of the health emergency.

In the eye of The Oversight Board, a panel of global experts constituted by 20 members, Meta Platforms (META) should continue to moderate and take down any content that is “likely to directly contribute to the risk of imminent physical harm” referring to misinformation related to the virus, as these actions are well-aligned with the company’s core values.