Facebook's oversight board calls for more transparency

Facebook Inc's independent oversight board demanded more transparency from the social media giant on Thursday, saying the company was not "fully forthcoming" on how it deals with certain high-profile user accounts.

The board's comments follow a Wall Street Journal report last month that said millions of Facebook accounts belonging to celebrities, politicians and other high profile users were exempt from some internal checks.

The board said that Facebook had not been transparent with the company's 'cross-check' system, an internal program the social media network says is used to double check enforcement actions against certain users.

Facebook was not immediately available for comment.

"Facebook needs to commit to greater transparency and to treat users fairly," the board said in a tweet.

Facebook, in the form of a policy advisory opinion, has asked the board to review its cross-check system and make recommendations on how it can be changed, the board said.

The board will also publish quarterly and annual transparency reports to provide assessment on whether its recommendations were implemented.

The board also revealed that over half a million Facebook and Instagram users submitted appeals between October 2020 and the end of June 2021, of which more than a third were related to content concerning Facebook's rules on hate speech.