Facebook Appoints Members Who Can Overrule CEO Zuckerberg

On Wednesday social media giant has named the first members of its oversight board who can overrule CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The new content oversight board will include a former prime minister, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and several constitutional law experts and rights advocates among its first 20 members, said Facebook.

Many are calling the board the “Supreme Court” of Facebook as they will be able to overturn decisions by the company and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on whether individual pieces of content should be allowed on Facebook and Instagram.

According to the company, the board’s members have lived in 27 countries and speak at least 29 languages.

Among the members include former European Court of Human Rights judge András Sajó, Internet Sans Frontières Executive Director Julie Owono, Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman, former editor-in-chief of the Guardian Alan Rusbridger, and Pakistani digital rights advocate Nighat Dad.

Nick Clegg, Facebook’s head of global affairs, told Reuters, “I don’t expect people to say, ‘Oh hallelujah, these are great people, this is going to be a great success’ – there’s no reason anyone should believe that this is going to be a great success until it really starts hearing difficult cases in the months and indeed years to come.”

The board is expected to grow to about 40 members and which Facebook has pledged $130 million to fund for at least six years.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) and have not been compensated for this article.