Why Meta Users Need a Public Advocate: A Modest Means to Address the Shortcomings of the Oversight Board

Meta took an unprecedented step in content moderation when it created an independent board, the Oversight Board, to adjudicate the company’s decisions on contested posts. Whether that step constitutes a step forward in the ongoing struggle to moderate online communities depends on whether Meta iterates on its innovation. The current structure of the Oversight Board renders it unable to institute broad and necessary changes to Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s main platforms. The creation of an Office of the Public Advocate, charged with representing the interests of Meta’s users before the Board, would drastically improve the ability of the Board to positively change Meta’s Community Standards.

Such an office would serve as a model for other companies to emulate as users seek more influence over their online communities.