Facebook Oversight Board Seeks Clarity on XCheck Review System for High-Profile Users

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the company will brief the board about the system known internally as XCheck (or cross-check) over the coming days.

By Reuters | Updated: 22 September 2021 10:57 IST

Facebook created Oversight Board in an effort to address criticism over how it handle problematic content

Highlights

Facebook will brief board about system known internally as cross-check
The cross-check system includes millions of accounts
The board said Facebook did not provide its criteria

Facebook's independent Oversight Board said on Tuesday it has asked the social networking giant to provide clarity on the system it uses to review content decisions relating to some high-profile users.

The board's inquiry follows a Wall Street Journal report last week that Facebook exempts high-profile users from some or all of its rules, raising questions about its enforcement decisions against harmful content.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the company will brief the board about the system known internally as "cross-check" over the coming days.

Facebook Portal Go, Portal+ Announced: All You Need to Know

The cross-check system includes millions of accounts, some of which are "whitelisted," meaning they are immune from Facebook's enforcement decisions, the Journal reported.

The Oversight Board said Tuesday it previously asked Facebook to explain how the cross-check system works and share its criteria for adding pages and accounts to the programme. The board said Facebook did not provide its criteria.

Facebook created the Oversight Board last year as part of an effort to address criticism over how it handles problematic content. The social media company committed $130 million (roughly Rs. 960 crores) in a trust to fund the board, which is able to make final decisions on whether individual pieces of content can remain on the site.

Facebook Says It Spent Over $13 Billion on Safety, Security Since 2016

© Thomson Reuters 2021

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we discuss iPhone 13, new iPad and iPad mini, and Apple Watch Series 7 — and what they mean to the Indian market. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub.

Further reading: Facebook, Oversight Board, XCheck