Meta’s oversight board has expressed concerns about Meta’s decision to reduce political content on its platforms, potentially limiting the ability of individuals to express dissent or raise awareness during crises like the post-election situation in Venezuela. The board urged Meta to implement a crisis protocol to ensure political content can reach the same audience as other types of content.
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, established the oversight board in 2020 to oversee content on its platforms, including Instagram. The board recently reviewed two videos related to pro-government armed groups in Venezuela, known as “colectivos,” posted after the country’s July presidential election.
In one Instagram video, individuals are seen confronting “colectivos,” with one person expressing strong words against them. Meta decided the video did not violate its policies as it was considered an aspirational statement rather than a call to action, a view upheld by the oversight board.
Another video on Facebook showed a group purportedly being attacked by “colectivos,” with the person filming criticizing the government’s security forces. Meta removed the video for potentially inciting violence, but the oversight board disagreed, recognizing it as an aspirational statement given the context in Venezuela.
Following the July election in Venezuela, protests erupted across the country, with demonstrators expressing their opposition to the declared election results. The demonstrations, while mostly peaceful, led to incidents of violence and clashes with authorities. Human Rights Watch implicated Venezuelan security forces and “colectivos” in some of the deaths during the protests.
Although President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the election by loyal electoral authorities, there were doubts about the transparency of the process as vote tallies were not released. The main opposition coalition claimed its candidate had defeated Maduro with a significant margin, presenting evidence from a large portion of the electronic voting machines used.
The oversight board’s decision highlights the complexities of balancing freedom of expression with the risk of inciting violence, especially in countries like Venezuela where there are restrictions on dissent and assembly rights. Meta’s efforts to regulate political content on its platforms continue to face scrutiny as they navigate challenges related to misinformation and polarization.
