Meta is accused of disrupting elections in Brazil

O Oversight Board (Oversight Committee) published a decision stating that the Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, he has "platforms in favor of dangerous rhetoric“, for disrupting elections in Brazil. The text published this week relates this accusation to the company's choice to make available to the public a video that calls for actions contrary to the elections in Brazil in 2022, which resulted in the candidate's victory. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the presidency of the republic.

However, after being notified by the board earlier this year, the Facebook removed the video back in January. Even with attention to the issue, concerns around the issue are increasing, as the next presidential elections in the United States will soon take place. Publication details of Oversight Board, the version of Meta about the risk potential of its platforms and other important details, you can check it out now, at showmetech.

What is the Oversight Board and how did the entity criticize Meta in relation to the elections in Brazil?

O Oversight Board or, as it is presented in Brazil, Oversight Committee, is a self-regulatory entity of Meta itself and values ​​independent judgment, transparency and legitimacy. In this way, the entity seeks to guide the Meta in policies for what should be released on their networks, participating in decisions regarding removing (or not) publications on their platforms, also indicating the reason for these removals or permissions.

Its origin dates back to November 2018, when the Facebook was still designing a body that would play the role of judging independently, that could be useful for “help the business make the toughest content decisions“. Over the following year, several meetings were held, with the participation of 88 countries, resulting in a statute, published in September 2019, containing the structure of the committee and the actions that would be carried out by the body. So, starting in 2020, the Oversight Board began reviewing the release of content posted by users of the platforms Meta.

In addition to having participated in the evaluation of the plans carried out by the Meta, to prevent the spread of hate speech and false information, the Oversight Committee warned about a video published two days after the inauguration of the president Squid. The material, described in the publication criticizing the company that owns the Facebook, indicated invasion orders in Brasilia, for attacks on buildings belonging to the three powers of the Republic. “Come to Brasilia! Let's attack! Let's besiege the three powers“, says one of the texts in the video images.

The material was on air from the 3rd of January until the 20th of the same month. When the attack took place, on January 8, the Meta came to activate its policy of Dangerous Organizations and Individuals, understanding that Brazil would be a high-risk location. However, even with the committee signaling, the content remained available. This attitude was recognized as a mistake by the Meta. To alert the company, the Oversight Board gave reason to the removal of the video for the following justifications:

• the intention of the author of the video publication for the attack;
• the speech content of the video and its reach on the platform;
• the chance of imminent damage resulting in the invasion of buildings in Brasilia.

Still, the entity says that Meta broke with its rules, also stating that the company's moderators failed to observe the video inciting terrorism with greater rigor. Therefore, the committee requests that there be improvements in the Crisis Policy Protocol, in your Transparency Center, as well as encouraging the provision of broader data on content moderation policies.

What is Meta's response to disrupting elections in Brazil?

The history of use of the social platforms of the Meta to spread disinformation has been increasingly actively monitored by various actors. Therefore, the company makes itself available so as not to affect electoral processes around the world. It was in this sense, even, that she responded to the criticism of the Oversight Committee, using as a defense the fact that it does not have general metrics for the success of its plans and projects to ensure the integrity of the elections.

This transparency measure to evaluate the results of protection actions would be ideal to know the efficiency of the plans applied by the Meta in elections, according to the agency. The instrument, moreover, could be useful in having data that improves its content, as well as the moderation of what is posted on the Instagram e Facebook.

A Meta not only takes internal action to moderate content against attacks and misinformation on the internet, but also tries to call on other companies to act on the matter. As the internal assessment body belongs to the organization headed by Mark Zuckeberg, he has the autonomy to call other representatives to participate in the planning of new policies and, in this regard, he does not rule out calling the Twitter to reinforce these strategies.

How has Meta collaborated with the Electoral Justice in Brazil?

Considering the scenario of dissemination of disinformation, the Meta initiated its protocol to avoid creating risks against last year's vote, relying on its Election Operations Center. Between August 16 and October 2, 2022, the company managed to remove 310 pieces of content from its networks for inciting violence. At the same time, another 290 publications were taken down for having hate speech.

These removals came as a continuation of the agreement signed between the Meta and Superior Electoral Court (TSE), in February last year. In that month, both the Facebook e Instagram, along with other social networks, renewed partnerships to combat misinformation. Natalia Paiva, representative of the platforms of Meta, told the court that the company intended to strengthen its policies during the 2022 election.

“The integrity of elections in Brazil is an absolute priority for Facebook and Instagram. And this work, developed with the TSE […] was fundamental to consolidate the various initiatives that were agreed upon”

Natália Paiva, spokesperson for Meta

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Source: Engadget | Reuters (Oversight Board) | Reuters (invite to Twitter) | Oversight Board (official note) | Oversight Board (values) | Meta | Superior Electoral Court

reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 22 / 6 / 23.