ONLINE EVENT: The Decisions of Facebook’s Oversight Board – Implications for the Global South, particularly in Latin America

This post is also available in: Spanish

In early 2020, Facebook established its Oversight Board, a body of experts that analyzes and reviews Facebook’s and Instagram’s content moderation decisions. Recently, the Oversight Board published its decision to uphold Facebook’s restriction on former President Donald Trump’s main account, yet ordered the platform to review within the next six months its decision to indefinitely suspend the account.

What is the impact of this decision in the Global South, particularly in Latin America, in terms of freedom of speech of public officials? What global norms and standards does the Facebook Oversight Board apply for the analysis and review of Facebook’s decisions regarding content moderation? And how could other legal traditions from Latin American courts and regional human rights bodies be incorporated in the Oversight Board’s decisions?

In this context, the Inter-American Dialogue, the International Justice Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and Columbia Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University are pleased to present a discussion to understand the main aspects of Facebook’s Oversight Board, its decisions so far and their impact in the Global South, particularly in Latin America.

Follow this event on Twitter at #LatAmDeplatform and @The_Dialogue. 

Please note that this conversation will be held in both English and Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation in both languages is available for those who join the event online through the RSVP.

WATCH THE EVENT LIVE HERE: 

Welcome:

Michael Shifter

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@MichaelShifter)

Opening Remarks:

Lee C. Bollinger

President and Seth Low Professor of the University, Columbia University

Panelists:

Catalina Botero

Co-Chair, Facebook Oversight Board; Expert, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (@cboteromarino)

Jamal Greene

Co-Chair, Facebook Oversight Board; Dwight Professor of Law, Columbia Law School (@jamalgreene)

Mary Hansel

Acting Director, International Justice Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law (@maryhhansel)

David Kaye

Clinical Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine; Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection for the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression (@davidakaye)

Moderator:

Edison Lanza

Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Inter-American Dialogue; Former Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (@EdisonLanza)

EVENT PARTNERS

This event is hosted in partnership with the International Justice Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and the Columbia Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University.