Facebook's Oversight Board says it's reviewing company's special treatment of high-profile users

Facebook's Oversight Board said Tuesday it is reviewing the social media company's treatment of high-profile users, including how it enforces the platform's rules for some politicians, celebrities and journalists.

The board's move follows a Wall Street Journal report earlier this month that Facebook's "cross-check" program effectively shields millions high-profile accounts from the enforcement actions that regular Facebook users are subject to. The program has allowed "whitelisted" accounts to post false claims, such as that COVID-19 vaccines are deadly, as well as posts that include harassment, among other issues, the Journal reported.

By 2020, there were almost 6 million accounts in the cross-check system, with Facebook employees giving those accounts special treatment, the report found. For most of Facebook's 2.8 billion monthly users, content that violates the company's guidelines against issues like bullying or hate speech is handled by automated systems, the publication added. On Tuesday, the Oversight Board said Facebook must be more transparent in how applies the rules.