Meta's Oversight Board Investigates Reasons for Removing Video of Iranian Woman 'Without Mandatory Hijab'

Meta's Oversight Board, the owner of Instagram, announced on Thursday, November 16, that it is reviewing the app's decision to retain, remove, and then restore a post related to Iran. According to Reuters, this video post shows a man confronting a woman without a mandatory hijab in a public place in Iran. The Oversight Board stated that the video under review shows the woman's face, who was arrested after the confrontation with the man. The user who published this video on their Instagram account commented in Persian, supporting this woman and Iranian women against the government, and also discussed her arrest. The board noted that the video was initially flagged by artificial intelligence for violating platform guidelines and sent for human review. The reviewers could not reach a consensus on the potential violation of this post. As a result, they decided to retain it until there was no public complaint. The statement further mentioned that the post was deleted, but when the user who published it stated that the video represents the courage of Iranian women, it was restored. The Oversight Board indicated that it selected this video, which was published earlier this year on Instagram, to 'explore Meta's policies and actions in moderating content that may impact ongoing protests in Iran.' According to the board, reviewing this video falls under strategic priorities that include critical situations, conflict, and gender. The board has routinely asked users to provide their opinions on this case. The Meta Oversight Board was established about three years ago to review the performance of Facebook and Instagram platforms regarding the retention or removal of specific content and to decide on supporting or overturning the actions of this social media company. This board can issue recommendations to Meta that are not binding, but the company must respond to the raised issues within 60 days. The budget for this group is funded by Meta, but it operates independently. The killing of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police was accompanied by widespread protests in Iran. On the anniversary of these events, scattered protests occurred in various parts of Iran, which were suppressed by government forces.