Meta has turn down its own Oversight Board’srecommendation to directly suspend the Facebook and Instagram accountsof Cambodia ’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen , an authoritarian dictator whorefers to political dissidents as dogsand has been accused ofusing Meta ’s platform to incite violence . The decision note a stark divergence from theOversight Board , which was create in 2018 as a Meta - fund , independent stay on the company ’s most sensible politically pregnant content relief decision . passport apart , the Cambodia case proves that the Pearl Buck for political contentedness on Facebook and Instagram at last still stops with Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg .
The Oversight Board called on Meta in June to now suspend Hun Sen ’s accounts and transmit a review give the drawing card ’s long , disturb account of human right misuse and his “ strategical utilization ” of social media to exaggerate threat against political adversary . Metaagreed to a bind decisionfrom the Oversight Board to dispatch a television where Hun Sen call up on political opposite to opt between “ the legal system ” and “ a bat , ” but stopped short of accepting the non - binding passport to suspend his account instantaneously . In ablog postTuesday , Meta broke its quiet on the issue , read a suspension of the leader ’s account “ would not be consistent ” with its insurance policy .
“ base on an judgment of the framework measure contained in the [ Crisis Policy Protocol ] — let in floor of ongoing polite unrest / fierceness , state - imposed confinement on media , and any significant reductions of human right hand as compared to the baseline conditions in the land — we determine that the situation in Cambodia did not adjoin the entry touchstone door for crisis designation under the Crisis Policy Protocol , ” Meta said .
Photo: Heng Sinith (AP)
The “ Crisis Policy Protocol ” Meta cite refers to a framework the company put in place to measure the risk of at hand harm it comprehend in an area both on , and off its platform . The protocol was part of an equating Meta used in resolve toreinstate former US President Donald Trump’saccounts following a two - year ban . In that pillowcase , Meta decided the imminent risk for harm had subsided enough to justify letting Trump back on . The polar appears to employ here . Cambodia ’s threat temperature , Meta estimation , is n’t hot enough to justify removing a spectacular political figure with a story of abuse the platform . Hun Senresigned earlier this month , officially handing over power to his Logos after ruling for nearly four decades .
“ Hun Sen ’s accounts will continue to be open to our generally applicable penalty organization , ” Meta supply . “ Our Community Standards apply to all substance abuser all around the humankind . When a drug user violates these measure , they may also incur a strike to their account . ”
The Oversight Board told Gizmodo it stands by its conclusion despite Meta ’s rejection .
“ election are a crucial part of democracy and social media company must ensure their political program are not misapply in way which endanger to countermine them , ” an Oversight Board representative tell Gizmodo . “ The Board stomach by its original decision and urges Meta to do everything in its ability to dissuade public digit who overwork its platforms to move violence . ”
Hun Sen’s battle with Facebook
Meta ’s selection to stand by Hun Sen comes despite recur reports from rights organizations documenting examples of the loss leader using societal media platforms to chivy political opponents andpressure online political program to restrict freedom of expression . In the 38 years that Hun Sen had ruled in Cambodia , human rights organizations have accused him of engage in brutal vehemence , massive corruption , and fudge elections . This year , Hun Senreportedly ordered the shutdownof Voice of Democracy , one of the country ’s last independent news internet site , because its writer did n’t apologize extravagantly enough after reference his Word in a means the loss leader disagreed with .
Hun Sen attracted the Oversight Board ’s attention recently for a 41 - minute television post from his Facebook story in January where he threaten to take legal action mechanism against political adversary who accuse his political party of stealing votes in the upcoming election .
“ Either you face up legal activity in court , or I summon [ the Cambodian ] People ’s Party multitude for a demo and beat you up , ” Hun Sen say during the speech .
That video was view around 600,000 clip . Meta ab initio kept the picture up , citing its newsworthiness elision , despite multiple accounts ease up it as violating the society rule . The Oversight Board , which act as a semi - autonomous Supreme Court - similar entity govern Meta ’s cognitive content easing policies , stepped in andissued a binding opinion overturning its conclusion to leave up the television .
That decision had dramatic consequences . Almost immediately , Hun Sen ’s government lashed out andofficially declared22 members of the Oversight Board “ persona non grata , ” a recording label barring them from entering the country . The Board ’s opinion , the Kampuchean regime aver , was “ political in nature ” and intend to obstruct the freedom of the military press . The Board responded by insist that the recommendation is mean to protect the pressure and dissidents from a barrage of on-line attacks directed by government leading .
In separate Telegram posts seen by Rest of World stick with the Board ’s good word , Hun Sen’threatened to sue the companyand even close Facebook down wholly before eventually backing off .
“ I am not so stupid to close down Facebook , ” Hun Sen reportedly order on July 1 . Indeed , stop Facebook entirely would be stunned . Anestimated11 million of Cambodia ’s 17 million full universe uses Facebook . For many in Cambodia , Facebook is the net . For now , Facebook remains in Cambodia , and Hun Sen remains on Facebook .
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