A recent decision by Meta’s Oversight Board highlights Facebook’s ongoing role as a platform for dangerous election rhetoric. The Board overturned Meta’s initial decision to keep a video posted in January public, which called for insurrectionist actions in Brazil following the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The video, posted two days after Lula took office on January 1st, featured a prominent Brazilian general and supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro. In the video, the general urged people to “hit the streets” and “go to the National Congress … [and the] Supreme Court,” with Portuguese text overlaid stating, “Come to Brasília! Let’s Storm it! Let’s besiege the three powers.” The video was accompanied by a caption calling for the besieging of Brazil’s Congress as a last-ditch effort. The Three Powers Plaza, located in the Brazilian capital, is home to the Congress, Supreme Court, and the presidential offices.
Despite acknowledging the risk of civil and election-related unrest in Brazil, Meta initially did not find the video in violation of its policies when it was reported by a user. In fact, seven moderators reviewed the reports from four individuals, but none of them identified any issues with the content. This led to the video remaining on Facebook for five days until it was finally taken down on January 20th after the Oversight Board’s intervention.
After the video was removed, Meta referred to the riots as a “violating event” and claimed to have been removing content that called for people to take up arms or forcibly invade government buildings. The Oversight Board, however, expressed deep concern over Meta’s repeated failure to recognize the video’s policy violations. In its decision, the Board recommended that Meta develop a framework for evaluating its election integrity efforts and expand its protocols for assessing content that may cause harm in high-risk events. The Board also called on Meta to share metrics for successful election integrity efforts and its approach to advertisements.
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Established in 2020, the Oversight Board operates as an independent entity funded separately from Meta. It provides individuals with the opportunity to appeal content visibility decisions and has the authority to permit or remove Facebook and Instagram content. Each decision is accompanied by a statement outlining the Board’s rationale. The Board currently consists of 22 members, with plans to expand to 40, including individuals such as Nighat Dad, founder of the Digital Rights Foundation, and Ronaldo Lemos, a professor at Rio De Janeiro State University’s Law School.
Meta has been known as a platform for right-wing conspiracy theorists and organizers. In the period leading up to the January 6th, 2021 insurrection in the United States, more than 650,000 posts disputing Joe Biden’s victory were shared on Facebook. Although safety features were implemented after the spread of misinformation during the 2016 election, Meta quietly rolled back many of these safeguards in anticipation of the 2022 midterm elections and Brazil’s general election.
The Oversight Board’s decision serves as a reminder of the continuing challenge Facebook faces in combating dangerous election rhetoric on its platform. The incident in Brazil highlights the need for stricter enforcement of content policies and the development of comprehensive frameworks to evaluate election integrity efforts. Meta must prioritize the safety and security of its users by taking decisive action against content that incites violence or poses a threat to democratic processes.
