The case involved an Instagram account that Meta permanently disabled in 2025 after determining that several posts violated its policies, including two posts containing severe threats of violence against a journalist. The Board upheld Meta’s decision to disable the account and remove the violating content.
However, the Board said the case also highlighted broader systemic human rights concerns related to account governance, transparency, due process and the handling of credible threats of violence.
Among the issues identified were delays in reviewing credible threats of severe violence, due process for users whose accounts are disabled, and the availability of clear and comprehensive information about account restrictions and permanent disablement policies.
The Board said it was seriously concerned that Meta did not review two clear and credible threats swiftly when they were posted, delaying their removal and exposing the targeted journalist to risk for a prolonged period.
The Board also said the case highlighted the lack of a clear framework guiding decisions to permanently disable an account for serious safety concerns. It further noted that there may be situations in which significant but time-bound suspensions could be considered instead of permanent disablement.
The decision comes as some social media users have publicly complained about account bans and difficulties accessing appeals processes.
In posts on X, recently, several users said their Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp accounts had been disabled or banned and that they had struggled to obtain explanations or human review.
"I was part of the recent ban wave earlier today too. Lost a 20 year old account over sheer and utter incompetent laziness letting a bot run the most important feature. This is unacceptable and even if things return back, I will be significantly avoiding of Meta apps.", expressed a user @6Flabs on X.
As part of its decision, the Board outlined principles it said should guide account governance on social media platforms. These include providing users with clear information about account disablement rules, detailed explanations for enforcement decisions, effective appeal mechanisms and greater transparency regarding enforcement trends.
The Board also said social media companies should coordinate on sharing information about accounts that credibly threaten serious violence.
According to the Board, the decision should not be interpreted as a blanket endorsement of Meta’s broader approach to banning or restricting accounts.
The case marks the first time the Board has assessed the permanent disabling of a user account as part of an expansion of its mandate beyond individual content decisions.
Image: DIW
Reviewed by Irfan Ahmad.
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