Meta Made Sweeping Moderation Changes ‘hastily’, Says Oversight Board

Meta’s Oversight Board has raised concerns over the company’s decision to rush major content moderation changes without clearly assessing their human rights impact.

In a recent decision, the Board said Meta removed U.S. fact-checkers, relaxed content rules, and promoted more political posts without following its usual review process.

Meta also stopped proactively flagging less severe rule violations. As a result, posts calling gay people mentally ill or referring to women as property may now go unflagged unless users report them.

Meta defended the changes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said strict moderation over the years had led to “too many mistakes and too much censorship.”

The Board issued 17 recommendations, including stronger enforcement against harassment, more clarity on how hateful ideologies are handled, and a review of the “Community Notes” feature, which has replaced independent fact-checkers.