Last updated on February 22nd, 2024 at 11:44 am

The board views the reinstated videos as valuable for informing the world about human suffering on both sides

Meta’s oversight board stated that the social media company was wrong in removing two videos depicting hostages and injured individuals in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The board noted that these videos were crucial for understanding the human suffering experienced in the war. Meta had already restored the videos by the time the oversight board addressed the issue.

One video, posted on Instagram, showed the aftermath of an airstrike near al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, displaying children who appeared injured or deceased. The other video, on Facebook, depicted the 7 October attack, featuring an Israeli woman pleading with her captors not to harm her as she was taken hostage. The board emphasized the importance of these videos in shedding light on “human suffering on both sides.” Meta’s automated moderation systems had initially removed the content.

In both cases, the oversight board selected the content takedowns for review, and Meta subsequently reversed its decision and restored the videos with a warning screen for viewers, the board noted.

While the board approved of restoring the content, it disagreed with Meta’s choice to restrict the videos from being recommended to users. In a statement, the board urged Meta to “respond more quickly to changing circumstances on the ground, which affect the balance between the values of voice and safety.”

The board emphasized that such videos could contain evidence of human rights violations and could be crucial to the historical record of the war. It advised the company to prioritize allowing such videos instead of algorithmically removing them, as the latter method could lead to the deletion of “valuable posts.”

A Meta spokesperson expressed the company’s appreciation for the board’s decisions, noting that no additional steps would be taken on the cases as the board did not offer any policy recommendations.

The videos related to the conflict mark the first instance in which the oversight board, an independent body that reviews content decisions on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, examined cases in an expedited manner. The typical process spans 90 days, but this verdict was reached in 12 days. The board announced the accelerated review process earlier this year to respond more promptly to urgent events.

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