Meta publishes its first human rights report

A social media giant Meta, whose sites are regularly accused by NGOs and politicians of harming its users and democracy, released its first annual report on Thursday on its efforts to protect human rights. It covers the years 2020 and 2021 and reviews various measures taken Facebook And instagramIt summarizes already published studies, for example on elections in the US or the Philippines, to combat Covid-related misinformation.

“The report explains how our data policy, law enforcement response team and assessments help protect people from illegal or excessive government surveillance.», California group press release. Meta, like its neighbor GoogleElected officials, associations and journalists have recently questioned the topic of data protection for women seeking abortions in the US, a constitutional right that the US Supreme Court struck down in late June.

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They fear that the legal mandate would force tech groups to hand over the personal information of women who contact assisted voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG) services in US abortion states to authorities. Now banned or severely restricted. “Consistent with our human rights policy, we are committed to interpreting government requests as narrowly as possible.“, said AFP Miranda Sissons, Meta Human Rights Director.

Compliance with international standards

“Where local and international standards differ, we strive to adhere to international standards wherever possible.“She added, without further details, about specific concerns for women in the United States. If a request does not comply with the Act or the provisions of Meta, the agency “repels“. As already exists, the US panel is reviewing efforts to end-to-end encryption of these messaging services. Share itone way”Protect the privacy of users, especially journalists and human rights defenders“.

Meta has been heavily criticized for its economic model over the years, accused of favoring content that grabs users’ attention, often violent, sensational or hate-inducing. Its leaders have taken several steps to combat misinformation and improve content ratings. But the whistleblower’s revelations last fall Francis Hagan, a former computer scientist at Facebook, further tarnished the company’s reputation. She hammered in front of various parliaments what Meta was doing.Put profits before users“.