Facebook has come under severe criticism following a year of scandals, including a data leak affecting 50 million users, numerous cases of abuse, violence, harassment and misinformation using the platform, and the revelation that a data analytics company, Cambridge Analytica, had collected data from 87 million unwitting users to develop political advertising tools based on users’ personalities.

In response to some criticism, the company has announced plans to establish an “independent content oversight board” to determine what content is appropriate for the platform, and what crosses a line. The creation of the board will allow Facebook to continue to assert that it is not a publisher and hence avoid taking responsibility for the most divisive judgements squaring off freedom of speech with freedom from abuse. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously stated that Facebook should not be responsible for these decisions.

The board will have 40 members who can select cases to review and will be able to overturn internal decisions on the appropriateness of user-generated content.

The members are likely to include technology and human rights experts and will reportedly be free from commercial conflicts of interest. According to a draft charter, Facebook will select the first set of board members to serve three-year terms, after which the board members will choose replacements.

The plans were announced at a press conference in Brussels by Facebook’s newly-appointed director of global affairs, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg. Clegg added that the company would be taking extra measures and is willing to “change everything” to protect users from posts which promote suicide, following the death of a 14-year-old British schoolgirl whose social media accounts were reportedly filled with content showing self-mutilation and suicide.

“I can tell you firstly we’re going to look at this from top to bottom, change everything we’re doing if necessary to get it right,” he said. Clegg acknowledged that not all suicide-related content would be removed, as some could play a supportive role.

Clegg also said that the company would be toughening up its rules with regards to political advertising. The company will be setting up two new regional centres in Dublin and Singapore which will be focused on monitoring content relating to elections.

“We will require those wanting to run political and issue ads to be authorised, and we will display a ‘paid for’ disclaimer on those ads,” said Clegg, referring to the ongoing rollout of advertising transparency tools, which intend to make it clear which groups are sponsoring political ads as they are displayed, and to maintain a public database of all political ads.

Facebook has come under severe criticism following a year of scandals, including a data leak affecting 50 million users, numerous cases of abuse, violence, harassment and misinformation using the platform, and the revelation that a data analytics company, Cambridge Analytica, had collected data from 87 million unwitting users to develop political advertising tools based on users’ personalities.

In response to some criticism, the company has announced plans to establish an “independent content oversight board” to determine what content is appropriate for the platform, and what crosses a line. The creation of the board will allow Facebook to continue to assert that it is not a publisher and hence avoid taking responsibility for the most divisive judgements squaring off freedom of speech with freedom from abuse. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously stated that Facebook should not be responsible for these decisions.

The board will have 40 members who can select cases to review and will be able to overturn internal decisions on the appropriateness of user-generated content.

The members are likely to include technology and human rights experts and will reportedly be free from commercial conflicts of interest. According to a draft charter, Facebook will select the first set of board members to serve three-year terms, after which the board members will choose replacements.

The plans were announced at a press conference in Brussels by Facebook’s newly-appointed director of global affairs, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Nick Clegg. Clegg added that the company would be taking extra measures and is willing to “change everything” to protect users from posts which promote suicide, following the death of a 14-year-old British schoolgirl whose social media accounts were reportedly filled with content showing self-mutilation and suicide.

“I can tell you firstly we’re going to look at this from top to bottom, change everything we’re doing if necessary to get it right,” he said. Clegg acknowledged that not all suicide-related content would be removed, as some could play a supportive role.

Clegg also said that the company would be toughening up its rules with regards to political advertising. The company will be setting up two new regional centres in Dublin and Singapore which will be focused on monitoring content relating to elections.

“We will require those wanting to run political and issue ads to be authorised, and we will display a ‘paid for’ disclaimer on those ads,” said Clegg, referring to the ongoing rollout of advertising transparency tools, which intend to make it clear which groups are sponsoring political ads as they are displayed, and to maintain a public database of all political ads.