Technology

In late April 2025, the Meta Oversight Board (“Board”) published its first six decisions since Meta implemented sweeping changes to its content moderation policy. While these decisions prompted concern among many over ongoing inconsistencies in its approach to freedom of expression, some also welcomed the Board’s critical stance on certain recent changes (see here and here).

In this post, I argue that the Board appears to be shifting towards a more permissive stance on harmful or discriminatory expression. If this trend continues, it could significantly reshape the boundaries of acceptable speech on Meta’s platforms – with far-reaching implications for online public discourse. This also raises broader questions about the Board’s independence and legitimacy at a time when content governance is becoming increasingly politicised.