Facebook said Tuesday it has finalized its charter for its "independent oversight board," giving the panel the authority to overrule chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on questions of appropriate content.

The new entity, based on Zuckerberg's call for a "supreme court" that would make difficult calls on what is suitable content for Facebook, is moving closer to reality with the charter released by the social network.

Zuckerberg said in a statement the independent panel would have the final say on these matters of what belongs on the social platform.

"If someone disagrees with a decision we've made, they can appeal to us first, and soon they will be able to further appeal to this independent board," he said.

"The board's decision will be binding, even if I or anyone at Facebook disagrees with it."

Facebook will also create a separate "independent trust" that will act as a conduit for funding and ensure the oversight panel is not subject to influence from company executives.

"The majority of people we consulted supported our decision to establish an independent trust," Facebook governance chief Brent Harris said.

"They felt that this could help ensure the board's independence, while also providing a means to provide additional accountability checks. The trust will provide the infrastructure to support and compensate the board."

The charter, a nine-page document, sets rules for the new panel of up to 40 members. Facebook said earlier this year it was ready to open nominations after consultations in 88 countries.

Facebook's initiative comes amid intense pressure around the world for the social platform used by more than two billion people to root out abusive content, manipulation and hoaxes, while remaining open to free expression.

The new entity will focus solely on content moderation and not on other questions such as algorithmic feed ranking or artificial intelligence.

"The board will be an advocate for our community -- supporting people's right to free expression, and making sure we fulfill our responsibility to keep people safe," Zuckerberg wrote Tuesday.

"As an independent organization, we hope it gives people confidence that their views will be heard, and that Facebook doesn't have the ultimate power over their expression."

Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Google employees free to express views under settlement with US
San Francisco (AFP) Sept 12, 2019
Google said Thursday said it will remind workers they are free to express views on "workplace issues" as part of a settlement with a US government agency investigating the internet giant. Under the terms of the agreement with the US National Labor Relations Board, Google will post digital notices on its internal employee computer network and physical copies at its Silicon Valley headquarters reminding employees of their rights. The agreement comes in the wake of a labor complaint by a fired engi ... read more