Meta’s Oversight Board has weighed in on its first Threads case, reversing the company’s initial decision and first appeal regarding a post criticizing outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The phrase “死ね,” translated to “drop dead / die,” was considered figurative and not a literal threat. The case originated from a Threads post accusing Kishida of tax evasion, leading to the use of the controversial phrase. Despite being reported under Meta’s rules, the post went unnoticed until flagged under different guidelines. Two human reviewers deemed the post in violation, leading to an appeal that ultimately reached the Oversight Board, which overturned the removal decision. The Board’s explanation highlighted the non-literal nature of the criticism and the importance of considering context in evaluating such posts. Recommendations were made to clarify internal guidelines and empower reviewers to better assess cases involving language nuances and cultural contexts. The Board also called for clearer distinctions between threatening language directed at public figures versus high-risk persons and emphasized the need to protect rhetorical political speech. This decision adds to the Oversight Board’s activities in September, following previous rulings on controversial phrases and threats in other cases.
