Human Rights Defender in Peru Case Raises Concerns About Veiled Threats on Meta’s Platforms
27 de Maio de 2025
The Oversight Board overturns Meta’s decision to leave up content targeting one of Peru’s leading human rights defenders. Restrictions on fundamental freedoms, such as the right to assembly and association, are increasing in Peru, with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) among those impacted. Containing an image of the defender that has been altered, likely with AI, to show blood dripping down her face, the post was shared by a member of La Resistencia. This group targets journalists, NGOs, human rights activists and institutions in Peru with disinformation, intimidation and violence. Taken in its whole context, this post qualifies as a “veiled threat” under the Violence and Incitement policy. As this case reveals potential underenforcement of veiled or coded threats on Meta’s platforms, the Board makes two related recommendations.
About the Case
A member of La Resistencia posted a likely AI-manipulated image, in which the headshot of the leader of a human rights organization has been altered to show her face covered with blood. A caption in Spanish insinuates that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are engaging in financial wrongdoing by receiving foreign funds, also accusing them of encouraging violent protests. At the time this post was shared, there were ongoing demonstrations by civilians in Peru against the government.
Viewed around 1,000 times, the post was reported. Meta determined there were no violations. The user who had appealed to Meta then came to the Board. Before the Board selected the case, Meta received a report from one of its Trusted Partners, a global network of NGOs, humanitarian agencies and human rights researchers that flag emerging risks from content on Meta’s platforms. As a result, Meta reviewed the account posting the image and disabled it for violating its Terms of Service, meaning this specific post is no longer on Facebook.
Key Findings
The Board has unanimously found this post qualifies as a “veiled or implicit” threat under the Violence and Incitement Community Standard. When threats are veiled, they require a threat signal – such as a retaliatory statement or call to action – and a context signal, including local experts confirming the statement could lead to imminent violence.
The AI-manipulated image has a target – the human rights defender who is clearly identifiable to many Peruvians. Her image has been edited to look like she has sustained physical injuries. The text sets out grievances against NGOs, including alleged financial wrongdoing. Together, these factors meet the requirement for a threat signal. The content also satisfies the need for a context signal, since attacks against human rights defenders, including by La Resistencia, are well reported in Peru. Additionally, the Trusted Partner report sent to Meta highlights how this post could have contributed to imminent violence.
Meta interpreted this image to be a human rights defender with “blood on her hands.” The Board is unpersuaded and disappointed by this explanation, noting the image is altered to indicate a bloody head wound. Meta’s internal teams could easily have discovered that the defender is recognizable through a search online, which would have brought up her original smiling headshot
No intervention short of content removal would have adequately mitigated the risks to the human rights defender in this case. Recent reporting by the UN has discussed the unsafe environment for defenders, especially women, in Peru. The stigmatization of civil society groups has created an atmosphere of fear, and this dynamic has been exacerbated by legislative initiatives that seek to assert more control over NGOs and restrict peaceful assembly.
Finally, the Board has received reports that this content has been reposted by other accounts associated with the same user who originally posted it. Meta should ensure such posts are removed, unless they are for condemnation or awareness-raising.
The Oversight Board’s Decision
The Oversight Board overturns Meta’s decision to leave up the content.
The Board also recommends that Meta:
- Clarify that “coded statements where the method of violence is not clearly articulated” are prohibited in written, visual and verbal form, under the Violence and Incitement Community Standard.
- Produce an annual accuracy assessment on potential veiled threats, including a specific focus on content containing threats against human rights defenders that incorrectly remains up on the platform and instances of political speech incorrectly being taken down.
Further Information
To read public comments for this case, click here.
