Facebook proprietor Meta Platforms mentioned on Thursday it could “assess the feasibility” of commissioning an unbiased human rights evaluation into its work in Ethiopia, after its oversight board really helpful a evaluate of how Facebook and Instagram have been used to unfold content material that heightens the chance of violence there.

The board, arrange by the corporate to deal with criticism over its dealing with of problematic materials, makes binding choices on a small variety of difficult content material moderation circumstances and gives non-binding coverage suggestions.

Meta has been beneath scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators over person security and its dealing with of abuses on its platforms internationally, significantly after whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked inside paperwork that confirmed the corporate’s struggles in policing content material in nations the place such speech was most probably to trigger hurt, together with Ethiopia.

Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced throughout a year-long battle between the Ethiopian authorities and rebellious forces from the northern Tigray area.

The social media big mentioned it has “invested significant resources in Ethiopia to identify and remove potentially harmful content,” as a part of its response to the board’s December suggestions on a case involving content material posted within the nation.

The oversight board final month upheld Meta’s unique choice to take away a put up alleging the involvement of ethnic Tigrayan civilians in atrocities in Ethiopia’s Amhara area. As Meta had restored the put up after the person’s enchantment to the board, the corporate needed to once more take away the content material.

On Thursday, Meta mentioned whereas it had taken the put up down, it disagreed with the board’s reasoning that it ought to have been eliminated as a result of it was an “unverified rumor” that considerably elevated the chance of imminent violence. It mentioned this may impose “a journalistic publishing standard on people.”

An oversight board spokesman mentioned in an announcement: “Meta’s existing policies prohibit rumors that contribute to imminent violence that cannot be debunked in a meaningful timeframe, and the Board made recommendations to ensure these policies are effectively applied in conflict situations.”

“Rumors alleging an ethnic group is complicit in atrocities, as found in this case, have the potential to lead to grave harm to people,” they mentioned.

The board had really helpful that Meta fee a human rights due diligence evaluation, to be accomplished in six months, which ought to embody a evaluate of Meta’s language capabilities in Ethiopia and a evaluate of measures taken forestall the misuse of its companies within the nation.

However, the corporate mentioned not all parts of this suggestion “may be feasible in terms of timing, data science or approach.” It mentioned it could proceed its present human rights due diligence and may have an replace on whether or not it might act on the board’s recommenation throughout the subsequent few months.

Reuters’ earlier reporting on Myanmar and different nations has investigated how Facebook struggled to observe content material internationally in numerous languages. In 2018, U.N. human rights investigators mentioned using Facebook had performed a key position in spreading hate speech that fueled violence in Myanmar.

Meta, which has mentioned that it was too gradual to forestall misinformation and hate in Myanmar, has mentioned that the corporate now has native audio system worldwide reviewing content material in additional than 70 languages which work to cease abuse on its platforms in locations the place there’s a heightened danger of battle and violence.

The board additionally really helpful that Meta rewrite its worth assertion on security to mirror that on-line speech can pose a danger to the bodily safety of individuals and their proper to life. The firm mentioned it could make adjustments to this worth, in a partial implementation of the advice.

© Thomson Reuters 2022