Oversight Board Wants To Ban Cambodia's Prime Minister From Facebook And Instagram

Topline

Meta’s Oversight Board on Thursday called for the immediate suspension of the Facebook and Instagram accounts belonging to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen after he threatened to “beat up” opponents and made other posts inciting violence, a decision that could change how political speech is handled online.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at … [+] Bocharov Ruchey State Residence on May 19, 2016 in Sochi, Russia. Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

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Key Facts

The board wants Hun Sen’s accounts suspended for at least six months and wants the company to remove the live-streamed video posted in January that encouraged political opponents to choose between the “legal system” and “a bat,” the decision said.

The board—which is made up of independent advisors—cited “the severity of the violation, Hun Sen’s history of committing human rights violations and intimidating political opponents, as well as his strategic use of social media to amplify such threats” as the reasons for its decision.

The move is an overturn of an earlier decision by Meta employees that would have kept the video up because it was newsworthy.

Hun Sen’s accounts were still live as of 10 a.m. EST Thursday; Meta said it will respond to the board’s decision after it “conducts a review of all the recommendations.”

On Wednesday, Hun Sen said he was giving up Facebook in favor of TikTok, Youtube and Telegram, a messaging app similar to WhatsApp.

This is the first time the oversight board, created to make difficult content decisions, has asked to ban a head of government from Facebook or Instagram, the Washington Post reported; Meta has in recent years repeatedly clashed with users and regulators over abusive online behavior, incitements of violence from political leaders and the spread of misinformation.

Former President Donald Trump was suspended from Meta platforms for two years “following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol” on Jan. 6, 2021, but he was allowed back on Facebook and Instagram earlier this year after the company put out new, board-suggested guidance on the length of suspensions and the “circumstances in which accounts of public figures could be restricted during times of civil unrest and ongoing violence,” Meta said.

What To Watch For

When the accounts will come down. Meta does not have to follow the recommendations of the board, but on Wednesday said it would implement the board’s decision once it was handed down.

Key Background

Hun Sen, who has 14 million followers on Facebook, has been Cambodia’s leader since 1985 and is facing an election next month. The recommendation to remove his accounts was called “long overdue” by Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, in an interview with the Washington Post. Hun Sen’s previous posts include threats to shoot opposition leader Sam Rainsy with a rocket launcher, “eliminate 100 or 200 people” to ensure peace and “send gangsters” to the homes of political opponents. The main opposition party in Cambodia has been barred from participating in the upcoming elections, the Associated Press reported, one example of an ongoing attack on free speech in the country. The Cambodian government has not responded to the board’s decision.

Crucial Quote

“Such behavior should not be rewarded,” Meta’s Oversight Board said of Hun Sen’s posting.

Tangent

Trump has not posted on Twitter since he was banned by the platform in 2021, following the January 6 riots, but is reportedly mulling a return to the platform after his account was unbanned several months ago. Axios reported Wednesday that an exclusivity deal that kept him tethered to his Truth Social platform ended earlier this month, prompting the push back to Twitter. Aside from Truth Social, Trump has also been using his Instagram account to occasionally post campaign videos and photos—which was allowed under his exclusivity deal.

Oversight Board Wants To Ban Cambodia’s Prime Minister From Facebook And Instagram