Facebook’s parent Meta Platforms has rejected a recommendation from its oversight board that it suspend the account of Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen over allegations he used it to threaten opponents.
Meta on Monday (Aug 28) said it had determined that “suspending accounts outside our regular enforcement framework would not be consistent with our policies, including our protocol on restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest.”
Meta, in a written statement, agreed to take down the video but said it would respond to the board’s recommendation to suspend Hun Sen after a review.
Cambodia barred the 22-member oversight board from the country, declaring the recommendation was “political” in nature.
The Meta case came after several users reported a January video where Hun Sen, 71, said those who accused his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of buying votes in a 2022 local election should file a legal case, or face a beating from CPP’s supporters.
His Facebook page, which he temporarily stopped using, had a following of 14 million, a figure close to the size of Cambodia’s population. New content started to appear again just a few days ahead of a lopsided election in July, operated by a member of Hun Sen’s media team.
Meta’s oversight board on Tuesday said it stood by its decision and called for Meta to “do everything in its power to deter public figures who exploit its platforms to incite violence”.
