Facebook system provides high-profile users with special treatment

Facebook provided special "whitelisting" treatment to millions of high-profile users, exempting them from standard rules and enforcement actions. 

A Wall Street Journal investigation discovered that politicians, celebrities and other influential individuals - including Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren and Neymar - added to Facebook's Cross-check programme are permitted to post rule-breaking content, including harassment, incitement to violence, and misinformation and disinformation, and are immune from Facebook enforcement actions. 

It found that Facebook's moderators are instructed to be more lenient when reviewing content from high-profile users, and to err on the side of caution when deciding whether to remove content. It was also seen to have been used to protect high-profile users from criticism and accountability, including allowing them to post content that is later found to be false or misleading.

In one instance, Cross-check system allowed then-President of the United States Donald Trump to post a video on his Facebook page that falsely claimed that mail-in voting during political elections was "corrupt" and "rigged". Despite the fact that the video contained false information, Facebook's moderators did not remove it, citing the Cross-check system's exemption for high-profile users. The video remained on the platform for several days, allowing it to spread misinformation to millions of users.

The WSJ's report raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of Facebook's moderation policies, and highlighted the need for greater accountability and oversight of the company's practices. 

It resulted in Facebook requesting assistance from its independent Oversight Board.