Meta Safety Advisory Council Expresses Concerns Over Recent Policy Changes
The Meta Safety Advisory Council has written a letter to the company expressing its concerns over its recent policy changes, including the decision to suspend its fact-checking program. The council stated that Meta’s policy shift “risks prioritizing political ideologies over global safety imperatives.” This move has significant implications, as Meta’s position as one of the world’s most influential companies gives it the power to influence not just online behavior, but also societal norms.
The council highlights how Meta’s policy changes could “normalize harmful behaviors and undermine years of social progress… by dialing back protections for protected communities.” This is particularly concerning, as marginalized groups, such as women, LGBTQIA+ communities, and immigrants, are targeted disproportionately online. Meta’s policy changes could take away whatever made them feel safe and included on the company’s platforms.
The Meta Safety Advisory Council is a group of “independent online safety organizations and experts” from various countries. The company formed it in 2009 and consults with its members on issues revolving around public safety. The council commends Meta’s “ongoing efforts to address the most egregious and illegal harms” on its platforms, but emphasizes that addressing “ongoing hate against individuals or communities” should remain a top priority for Meta.
The council also expressed concerns over the effectiveness of crowd-sourced tools like Community Notes in addressing misinformation. Independent researchers have raised concerns about their effectiveness, citing a report that showed posts with false election information on X did not show proposed Community Notes corrections, even with billions of views. The council wrote that “fact-checking serves as a vital safeguard — particularly in regions of the world where misinformation fuels offline harm and as adoption of AI grows worldwide.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the massive shift in the company’s approach to moderation and speech earlier this year. In addition to revealing that Meta is ending its third-party fact-checking program and implementing X-style Community Notes, he also stated that the company is killing “a bunch of restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse.” Shortly after his announcement, Meta changed its hateful conduct policy to “allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation.” It also removed a policy that prohibited users from referring to women as household objects or property and from calling transgender or non-binary people as “it.”
Background on the Meta Safety Advisory Council
The Meta Safety Advisory Council is a group of “independent online safety organizations and experts” from various countries. The company formed it in 2009 and consults with its members on issues revolving around public safety. The council’s members are committed to promoting online safety and addressing the most pressing issues on the internet.
Key Concerns
The Meta Safety Advisory Council has expressed several key concerns over Meta’s recent policy changes, including:
* The risk of prioritizing political ideologies over global safety imperatives
* The potential for normalizing harmful behaviors and undermining years of social progress
* The lack of effectiveness of crowd-sourced tools like Community Notes in addressing misinformation
* The need for Meta to prioritize addressing ongoing hate against individuals or communities
Conclusion
The Meta Safety Advisory Council’s letter to Meta highlights the need for the company to prioritize online safety and address the most pressing issues on the internet. The council’s concerns over Meta’s recent policy changes are well-founded, and the company must take steps to mitigate the risks associated with its approach to moderation and speech.
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