Facebook Information Policy Commission

Facebook, which owns the social network of the same name, intends to form its own advisory commission to determine information policy during elections. This was reported by The New York Times on Wednesday.

According to its information, the company has approached academics and political scientists with a proposal to create a body that would be empowered to make some decisions on regulating the social network's activities during the election period in a particular country. In particular, the Commission will be able to form a position on election advertising, as well as on misinformation.

It is noted that Facebook will officially announce the creation of a new body in autumn in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections. In this way, the company and its founder Mark Zuckerberg want to avoid the criticism that has descended on them after the November 3 general election.

Facebook has banned political advertising on the social network of the same name and Instagram since October 27 last year in order to combat the spread of misinformation and attempts to indirectly influence the mood of the electorate ahead of the US general election. The company only lifted this restriction in early March. After the riots in Washington on 6 January, Facebook blocked Donald Trump, then the US president, from posting on its social networks. The blocking was initially supposed to last until his term expired at noon on 20 January, but subsequently became indefinite. In June, management decided that the Republican would be able to reinstate his accounts after two years, subject to certain conditions.