Facebook's content moderation isn't perfect. It's getting better, but sometimes, a post that definitely violates Facebook Community Standards stays up on the platform. It just... mysteriously slipped through the cracks.
Thankfully, the appeals process is now a two-way street.
The Facebook Oversight Board Will Consider Your Appeals to Remove Content, Too
On Tuesday, the Facebook Oversight Board said that users can now appeal "eligible content" that they want removed from Facebook and Instagram. This feature is being rolled out now, and will be available to all users over the coming weeks.
In the past, the only appeals you could make were for deleted content that you thought should be restored to Facebook or Instagram. Now, you can also make appeals for content that you think should be deleted—inappropriate or policy-violating posts that somehow survived the usual moderation process.
"The Board will use its independent judgment to decide what to leave up and what to take down. Our decisions will be binding on Facebook," the announcement reads.
How Does This New Appeals Process Work?
If you think that a piece of content should not be on Facebook or Instagram, you should report it. See our respective guides on how to report content on Facebook, and how to report a post or profile on Instagram.
Should Facebook decide to keep the content up even after review, you will receive an Oversight Board Reference ID in your Support Inbox. From there, you can appeal Facebook’s decision to the Oversight Board. This applies to:
- Posts
- Statuses
- Photo
- Videos
- Comments
- Shares
Appeals to delete content left up can only be made once you've already gone through the basic report process. In the event that multiple people report the same piece of content, all reports will be put together in a single case file for the Oversight Board to review.
A Second Chance to Remove Inappropriate Content on Facebook or Instagram
Facebook says that its "thorough, principled, and transparent process" will protect your privacy throughout. When you appeal to the Oversight Board, details that could be used to easily identify you will only be included in the report if you give permission.
In theory, this expansion should improve Facebook's content moderation. Over the years, it's been... inconsistent, to say the least.
Sometimes, the platform is quick to act. Like when former US president Donald Trump reappeared on Facebook and was almost immediately banned again. Other times, some users complain that the takedown process is far too slow.
You can read more about the technical details of the new appeals process on Facebook Newsroom.