Meta withdraws a Policy Advisory Opinion Request Related to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
UPDATED 12 JUN 2023
2022-001-FB-PAO
Late last month, Meta withdrew a policy advisory opinion (PAO) request related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that had previously been referred to the Oversight Board. This decision was not made lightly — the PAO was withdrawn due to ongoing safety and security concerns.
While the PAO has been withdrawn, we stand by our efforts related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and believe we are taking the right steps to protect speech and balance the ongoing security concerns on the ground.
As part of our ongoing efforts:
- We established a special operations center staffed by experts from across the company, including native Russian and Ukrainian speakers, who are monitoring our platforms around the clock, allowing us to respond to issues in real time.
- We've added several safety features in Ukraine and Russia, including the ability for people to lock their Facebook profile, removing the ability to view and search friends lists, and additional tools on Messenger.
- We're taking extensive steps to fight the spread of misinformation and implementing more transparency and restrictions around state-controlled media outlets.
- We're providing tools, like our updated Community Help center, to help our community access crucial resources from local and international organizations, and take action to support people in need.
You can read about our ongoing efforts regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine here. We look forward to seeking the board's expertise on other significant and difficult content moderation questions going forward.