Decisions) and Article 2, Section 2 (Facebook Case Submissions, Information for
Board Review and Implementation) of the bylaws have been amended. To learn
more about these changes please see the board’s announcement or the complete,
updated Oversight Board bylaws.) (Update on November 2, 2021 at 6:00AM PT:
Article 1, Section 3 (Case Review and Decisions) of the bylaws have been amended.
To learn more about these changes please see the board’s announcement or the
complete updated Oversight Board bylaws.) (Update on February 1, 2022 at
08:00AM PT: Article 2, Section 2 (Facebook Case Submissions, Information for
Board Review and Implementation) of the bylaws have been amended. To learn
more about these changes please see the updated Oversight Board bylaws.)
Case Timeline
We are also building a case management tool that will ensure user privacy and
provide secure access for board members to review case information.
Cases will initially only involve individual pieces of content that we have taken down,
and will be referred to the board through two avenues. First, anyone who disagrees
with the outcome of Facebook’s decision to take down their content on Instagram or
Facebook, and has exhausted appeals, will have 15 days to submit an appeal to the
board. Second, Facebook itself will be able to directly refer significant and difficult
cases.
As we continue to improve and expand the technology that makes appeals to the
board possible, we want to also make it possible for people to refer cases where
Facebook decided not to remove a piece of content. Similarly, the types of content
that the board can review will grow over time, such as Groups and Pages, as
described in the bylaws. The Oversight Board is meant to be dynamic. It will need to
remain responsive to shifts in how people use Facebook’s services.
Given the large number of content decisions Facebook makes, as well as the time it
will take to hear cases, we expect the board will choose cases that have the greatest
potential to guide Facebook’s future decisions and policies. We expect the board to
come to a case decision, and for Facebook to have acted on that decision, in
approximately 90 days.