Oversight Board asks Meta to 'reassess' what COVID-19 misinformation it removes
The Oversight Board has issued its response to Meta’s request to help it reevaluate its COVID-19 misinformation rules. The social network first asked the Oversight toon the rules last summer, noting that it policies had resulted in an “unprecedented” number of removed posts but that the pandemic had “evolved” considerably since the rules were first put in place.
In its policy advisory opinion, the Oversight Board said that Meta should continue to remove false claims about the pandemic that are “likely to directly contribute to the risk of imminent and significant physical harm,” but that it should"reassess" the specific claims that qualify for removal. The board also recommended that Meta make it easier for external researchers to study misinformation, and study how its own algorithms could contribute to the spread of harmful misinformation.
But at the start of the pandemic, Meta said it would remove misinformation that health experts said was likely to lead to harm. The result, as the Oversight Board notes, is that 27 million posts were removed from Facebook and Instagram between March 2020 and July 2022. The company currently lists claims that qualify for removal, including allegations that COVID vaccines cause magnetism and that the pandemic is linked to 5G technology. Great deals on consumer electronics delivered straight to your inbox, curated by Engadget’s editorial team.
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