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Data Policy for the Oversight Board’s data processing activities

Meta Platforms Inc. (“Meta”) has prepared this policy to describe the information collected via this website and the information that the Oversight Board (the “Board”) processes on behalf of Meta when receiving, reviewing and handling an appeal of a decision about Facebook or Instagram content. The Board is one of the service providers to which Meta provides information and content to support Meta’s business, as explained in Meta’s Data Policy. This policy does not apply to any information collected by the Board when a person interacts directly with the Board (for example, when submitting a public comment or applying for a role with the Board). The Board has its own separate privacy notices for these processing activities.

This policy only applies to the use of this website and to appeals of a decision about Facebook or Instagram content submitted to the Board. This policy supplements Meta’s Data Policy, which governs your use of Facebook, Instagram and other products and features offered by Meta (Meta Products). Please refer to Meta's Data Policy to understand how the Meta Companies work together, how we operate and transfer data as part of our global services, the use and sharing of public information, Meta's data retention practices, how Meta make changes to its Data Policy, and how you can exercise your rights provided under the laws of your country.

Last updated: January 2024

I. What kind of information does Meta collect or use for handling appeals?

Meta uses the information listed below in order to enable the Board to consider, adjudicate on and/or fulfill appeals it receives, and to undertake an assessment and review of a decision about Facebook or Instagram content. This enables Meta to promote safety, integrity, and security on the Meta Products by combating harmful conduct and protecting and supporting Meta’s community, including by investigating violations of Meta’s terms or policies, which is necessary for Meta to provide and support the Meta Products. This also helps Meta support its community by ensuring objective review and validation of the application of Facebook’s Community Standards, Instagram’s Community Guidelines and other policies in cases of importance to Meta’s users and community.

Information you provide directly

When you provide information on this website as part of an appeal of a decision about your Facebook or Instagram content, Meta collects the following information:

  • Your written responses to the questions you are asked as part of the appeal
  • Data with special protections: When responding to questions as part of the appeal, you can choose to provide information about yourself (such as racial or ethnic origin, political, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, or information about sex life, trade union membership or health). This information could be subject to special protections under the laws of your country.
    • Meta only processes this information to consider the appeal provided Meta has your consent. You can withdraw this consent at any time by going to case status and deleting your information. Learn more about what happens when you delete your information in your case status.
    • Please do not provide any Data with Special Protections about other individuals in your written responses to the questions you are asked as part of the appeal. Any such data that is identified in your written responses will be deleted.

Where your written responses to the questions you are asked as part of the appeal include information (other than Data with Special Protections) about other individuals who are non-users of the applicable Meta product or who are under the age of majority (under 18, in most countries) or who otherwise have a limited ability to enter into an enforceable contract, Meta will process this information in line with the best interests of that individual while balancing our need to perform such processing in order to:

  • Ensure that the Board can reach an informed decision by having access to all relevant information to the case they’re reviewing; and
  • Facilitate the Board in preserving the best interests of these individuals by making appropriate decisions based on all relevant information.

Information from your Facebook or Instagram account

When an appeal of a decision about your Facebook or Instagram content is submitted to the Board, Meta shares the following information from your Facebook or Instagram account (whichever is used for posting the content that is subject to the appeal) with the Board, in order to enable the Board to review the appeal and the decision about your content:

  • The content that is subject to the appeal;
  • The reference number associated with the decision about your content;
  • Information about where the content in question was originally posted (like a Page, a profile or a group);
  • Basic information about your account (like follower and friend counts, date of account creation, location-related information);
  • The case history of the content under review, such as the initial content reviewer action(s), the date and time of appeal; and
  • The policy rationale for the original decision on the content.

Additional information may be requested by the Board to help inform their decision (such as information on engagement and reach of the content in question). Meta only shares the requested information with the Board where Meta determines that such information is relevant and necessary for helping the Board to reach a decision, in light of the context of each specific case.

II. How is this information shared publicly?

If the Board selects your case for review, it will produce a written explanation of its final decision, which will be made available for the public to read on this website. This written explanation may include references to the information you provided directly to Meta (about yourself and/or others) and/or information from your Facebook or Instagram account that is listed under What kind of information does Meta collect or use for handling appeals?

Meta will only include details that could easily identify you in the Board’s written explanation if you have given us your permission to do so. You can withdraw your permission at any time by visiting case status. If you do not give your permission, or if you withdraw your permission, Meta will remove those details that could easily identify you, and will take steps to remove more general details that Meta believes could help readers guess your identity, and we may then re-publish the new, edited written explanation on this website.

Meta will also take steps to ensure no details that can easily identify another person are included in the Board’s written explanation.

Please note that despite taking these steps, you and/or others may remain identifiable to a limited audience through the Board’s written explanation. Where this is the case, Meta will publish the Board’s written explanation where it is necessary to do so, and where not outweighed by your or others’ interests or fundamental rights and freedoms or otherwise prohibited by applicable law:

  • Meta is committed to fostering transparency for its users and the general public about how Meta keeps its’ Products free of harmful or inappropriate content and how it enforces violations of its terms and policies. It is necessary for the Board to publish a written explanation of its final decision to provide transparency as to how Meta tackles challenging cases.
  • Meta is also committed to contributing to the public’s understanding of important social issues relating to online content moderation that impact our society and world – in particular how to seek a balance between the competing interests of the right to free speech on online platforms, the safety on the platform and related rights. These commitments are furthered by making the Board’s decision publicly available.

If you have chosen to provide data with special protections in your written responses as part of the appeal, Meta will only include this information in the Board’s written explanation provided you have given permission to do so. You can withdraw your permission at any time by visiting case status. If you do not give your permission, the Board’s written explanation will not include any data with special protections about you. If you withdraw your permission at any time, Meta will remove data with special protections about you from the Board’s written explanation and may then re-publish the new, edited written explanation on this website.

III. What kind of information does Meta collect regarding this website?

Depending on your actions on this website, Meta may also collect certain information which is necessary for Meta to provide, operate, maintain and improve this website. This information includes website security, improving the navigation and content of the website, to identify any server problems or network/IT issues, or to carry out analytics about site usage to better understand the preferences of our website visitors:

  • Operating system attributes: Information such as the operating system version, hardware type and browser type;
  • Website operations: Information about how you engage with this website, such as pages you have visited, whether you are currently viewing this website, and what you clicked on;
  • Identifiers: Unique identifiers associated with the same account used to interact with this website;
  • Network and connections: Information such as the name of your mobile operator or ISP, language, time zone, IP address, and connection speed; and
  • Cookie data: Data from cookies stored on your device, including cookie IDs and settings. Learn more about how Meta uses cookies in the Cookie Policy for the Oversight Board Website.

IV. How to contact Meta with questions?

If you have questions about this policy, you can contact Meta online or by mail at:

Meta Platforms, Inc.ATTN: Privacy Operations1601 Willow RoadMenlo Park, CA 94025