In response to a recommendation from the Oversight Board (OB), Meta has unveiled updates to its content policies related to sexual exploitation. The changes follow the OB’s review of a 2022 video portraying the sexual assault of a tribal woman in India.
Key Points of the Revised Policy
The revised policy allows sharing of non-consensual sexual touching content. Victims or third parties can post it to raise awareness. Such content will come with a warning screen to alert users to its potentially distressing nature.
Meta Statement on the Policy Update
Meta explained the rationale behind the policy change. The company stated, “We may restrict visibility to people over the age of 18 and include a warning label on certain content depicting non-consensual sexual touching, when it is shared to raise awareness and without entertainment or sensational context, where the victim or survivor is not identifiable and where the content does not involve nudity.”
Background of the Oversight Board’s Involvement
The Oversight Board reviewed a case referred by Meta last year, which featured a video of an Indian woman being harassed by a group of men. The Instagram post accompanied the video with a statement indicating that a “tribal woman”, sexually assaulted and harassed publicly. The account responsible aimed to share experiences “from a Dalit’s desk.”
Initially, Meta removed the content for violating its Adult Sexual Exploitation policy. After reconsideration, the company reinstated the post for users over 18 years old, accompanied by a warning screen.
Meta Oversight Board’s Recommendation and Implementation
The Oversight Board acknowledged the situation’s complexity. It suggested Meta to add an exception to the ‘Adult Sexual Exploitation Community Standard.’ This exception should apply to non-consensual sexual touching depictions. The content must raise awareness, not reveal the victim, and steer clear of nudity. Meta confirmed that it has now implemented this recommendation.
The Oversight Board is an independent appeals body. It lets users challenge Meta’s content decisions on Facebook and Instagram. The Board has now revealed plans. It aims to widen content moderation case reviews and speed up some decisions. This move is part of ongoing efforts to expand its work.
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