Facebook is reportedly testing a brand new feature that will let users know when their post was removed from the platform due to automation.
The new feature comes in response to the Oversight Board, which has stated that Facebook should be more transparent with their users, especially when it comes to why their posts are removed.
Facebook's Feature to Notify Users of Post Removal
The social media company revealed the new feature through a report that gives updates on how the platform is handling the policy recommendations of the Oversight Board.
The test comes in response to one of the first cases that the Oversight Board took up. The case dealt with an Instagram post that was meant to raise awareness of breast cancer, yet it was taken down because it was flagged as nudity.
Facebook eventually restored the post, stating that its automated system was the one that made a mistake. As a response, Facebook updated Instagram's rules to allow nudity as long as it is health-related, according to TechStory.
The Oversight Board's Recommendation
However, the Oversight Board had also recommended that the social media platform should alert its users in cases when a post was removed with automation instead of by a human content reviewer.
The social media giant previously stated that it would look at the recommendation of the Oversight Board, and that is now the Facebook feature that is being tested.
The company posted in the report that they have launched a test on its site. The test will assess the impact of telling users more about whether automation was involved in enforcement. The users in the test can now see whether technology or a content reviewer made the enforcement decision about the removal of their content.
Facebook will continue to analyze the results to see if users had a clearer understanding of who removed their content while also looking out for a potential rise in appeals rates. The company added that it would give an update on the test before the year ends, according to Engadget.
The Influence of the Oversight Board on Facebook
The report also showed how the social media giant is working with the Oversight Board to improve its features. It notes that between November 2020 and March 2021, the company referred 26 cases to the Oversight Board, but it only took three, one of which is the automation issue.
Even though the Oversight Board has only weighed in on a couple of cases, its decisions have resulted in numerous policy changes by Facebook that had benefited the users. However, there are instances wherein the social media company refused to follow up on its policy suggestions.
One of the most recent ones was when the board accused Facebook of enabling the events of January 6 and the continuous rise of fake news regarding the COVID-19 virus and vaccine.
In a blog post, Facebook noted that the size and scope of the Oversight Board's recommendations go beyond the policy guidance that the company first anticipated when they set up the board. Most of the changes in the policy guidance will require multi-year investments.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
