Meta a request it made to its oversight Board looking for steerage on shaping its content material moderation insurance policies amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The firm had initially requested the Oversight Board for a coverage advisory opinion (PAO) in March, following controversy over its choice a few of its guidelines surrounding requires violence.

Now, almost two months later, Meta has taken the weird step of taking again the request. The firm cited unspecified safety issues as a motive, however didn’t elaborate. “This decision was not made lightly — the PAO was withdrawn due to ongoing safety and security concerns,” Meta wrote in a press release. It additionally linked to its weblog submit on its “ongoing” response to the warfare in Ukraine, which has not been up to date since March seventeenth.

“While the Board understands these concerns, we believe the request raises important issues and are disappointed by the company’s decision to withdraw it,” the Oversight Board mentioned in a statement. “The Board also notes the withdrawal of this request does not diminish Meta’s responsibility to carefully consider the ongoing content moderation issues which have arisen from this war, which the Board continues to follow.”

While it’s unclear precisely why Meta selected to withdraw its request, the transfer is nonetheless weird. Neither Meta nor the Oversight Board has ever publicly commented on what precisely the corporate’s unique PAO request entailed. Meta’s coverage chief Nick Clegg advised workers the corporate would ask the board to assessment its up to date steerage for content material moderators, The Washington Post reported .

Regardless of the request, Meta isn’t obligated to implement any coverage adjustments really helpful by the Oversight Board, which used a previous Policy Advisory request to affect the corporate’s insurance policies round .

Meta’s actions are additionally more likely to increase renewed questions on simply how a lot affect the board is able to wielding. Throughout its temporary existence, a of the group is that it’s set as much as take warmth for the corporate’s extra unpopular selections whereas Meta is free its suggestions.