Meta Signals It May Stop Funding Oversight Board After 2028
Meta has indicated it may stop funding its Oversight Board after 2028, raising serious questions about the future of the independent content moderation body that Mark Zuckerberg once called the company's "Supreme Court."
What's Happening
According to Platformer's Casey Newton, Meta has already reduced funding to the Oversight Board this year and "has signaled that it will do so again in 2027 and 2028." While negotiations are ongoing, the trajectory is clear.
Background
The Meta Oversight Board was established in 2020 as an independent body to review content moderation decisions and make binding rulings. It was backed by a $250M+ endowment designed to become self-sustaining.
Why It Matters
- Accountability vacuum: Without the board, who provides independent oversight?
- Free expression pivot: Meta's shift toward "free expression" aligns with reduced oversight
- Global implications: The board handles cases from users worldwide
- Precedent: Other platforms may follow suit
Bigger Picture
This fits a broader pattern: ending third-party fact-checking, relaxing hate speech policies, reducing trust and safety headcount. The Oversight Board's dissolution would mark a significant retreat from corporate self-regulation of social media.