Real Facebook Oversight Board Welcomes Six New Members

Global experts on extremism, disinformation, racial justice and tech policy expand reach of organization; Expanded Board to signal democracy crises aided by Facebook worldwide.

24 February — The Real Facebook Oversight Board today welcomed six new members, bringing the total number of RFOB “brains trust” of journalists, technologists, advocates, policymakers and experts to 35. New members bring a wealth of global experience to Real Facebook Oversight Board, sharpening the organization’s focus on global crises in democracy aided by Facebook in 2022.

A spokesperson for the Real Facebook Oversight Board said “We are honored and excited to add these six extraordinary experts on technology policy, disinformation, online extremism, racial justice and free speech to the Board. This is a truly global cohort that reflects the harms posed by Facebook to the global community. Each member brings critical expertise and insight at this urgent moment for reform and oversight of runaway social media content.

The Real Facebook Oversight Board, founded in September 2020 as a project of The Citizens is an emergency response to the ongoing harms on Facebook’s platforms from leading global scholars, experts and advocates.

The new members are -

• Rana Ayyub [@RanaAyyub] is an investigative journalist, Global Opinions contributor at @washingtonpost, writer on @SubstackInc and currently fighting for an open and free press in India. Ayyub was recently highlighted in a full-page ad in The Washington Post defending her against judicial harassment.
• Dr. Bharath Ganesh [@bganesh11] is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at the University of Groningen. His research focuses on the intersections between platforms and racism, hate speech, and extremism.
• Evan Balgord [@ebalgord] is the Executive Director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an antifascist nonprofit dedicated to countering, monitoring, and exposing the far-right. He was formerly an investigative journalist and a VP of the @CAJ.
• Dr. Kate Coyer [@kcoyer] is a fellow and teacher in Budapest with the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University and a former Berkman Klein Center fellow. Kate’s research primarily examines media, technology, and social change.
• Steven Renderos [@stevenrenderos] is the Executive Director of MediaJustice, a national racial justice hub fighting for a future in which all people of color are connected, represented, and free.

RFOB also welcomed Phumzile Van Damme [@zilevandamme] in the fall. Phumzile is a Misinformation Specialist and Consultant. She is a member of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and a former MP in South Africa, where she served as Shadow Minister of Communications and Online Technology.

All six members will support RFOB’s efforts to elevate oversight and regulation of Facebook in the public debate, and to sound the alarm about human rights and crises of democracy around the world.

Statements do not reflect the individual positions of all Real Facebook Oversight Board Members. Contact us at media@the-citizens.com.