How the Oversight Board applies human rights standards to content moderation | Paolo Carozza

Part of our responsibility is to ensure that Meta’s approach to content moderation is grounded in respect for human rights. This is reflected in our Charter, and in Meta’s own corporate human rights commitments. Our decisions therefore look beyond whether Meta’s content decisions followed the company’s content rules and values, but also examine whether decisions by Meta comport with international human rights standards.
International human rights standards provide a universal framework for protecting free expression and other human rights. They also provide a globally consistent framework for holding Meta to account for its impacts throughout the world. Meta’s Corporate Human Rights Policy sets out its commitments to respect human rights - including through how it develops its content policies. The policy also notes that the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) informed the Board’s creation.
We believe that placing human rights at the heart of our work, and pushing Meta to respect them, will make Facebook and Instagram better places for users. Over time, we hope that our decisions will bring Meta’s approach to content moderation into greater alignment with international human rights standards.