Metas Oversight Board is tackling a case focused on Metas ability to permanently disable user accounts. Permanent bans are a drastic action, locking people out of their profiles, memories, friend connections, and, in the case of creators and businesses, their ability to market and communicate with fans and customers.

This is the first time in the organizations five-year history as an oversight body that permanent account bans have been a subject of the Oversight Boards focus, the organization notes. The case being reviewed isnt exactly one of an everyday user.

Instead, the case involves a high-profile Instagram user who repeatedly violated Metas Community Standards by posting visual threats of violence against a female journalist, anti-gay slurs against politicians, content depicting a sex act, allegations of misconduct against minorities, and more. The account had not accumulated enough strikes to be automatically disabled, but Meta made the decision to permanently ban the account.

The Boards materials didnt name the account in question, but its recommendations could impact others who post content that targets public figures with abuse, harassment, and threats, as well as users who have their accounts permanently banned without receiving transparent explanations. Meta referred this specific case to the Board, which included five posts made in the year before the account was permanently disabled.