Meta-Led Anti-Terrorism Group Faces Mass Resignation of Independent Advisers

As first reported by Wired, six of nine independent experts serving on the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) advisory board resigned on Monday. The departures follow a July email from Meta vice president of content policy Nell McCarthy, who stated that while the consortium valued insights on violent trends, it no longer wanted expert scrutiny regarding the effectiveness of Big Tech's efforts to curtail violence.

As the current chair of the GIFCT operating board, Meta has significant influence over policy changes, though other member companies—including Microsoft and YouTube—must provide final approval. The proposed structural changes would shift the selection of rotating advisory committee members from an internal election to a process managed by tech companies. Additionally, the committee would be prohibited from making group recommendations or weighing in on the consortium's performance.

In a resignation letter seen by Wired, the departing experts described the plan as "accountability theatre," arguing that a body unable to evaluate or scrutinize is not a true advisory board. They stated that their appeals against the plan were ignored and expressed a loss of confidence in the GIFCT's ability to prevent terrorists from exploiting online services.

A GIFCT spokesperson told Wired that the proposed changes are not yet final and resulted from discussions on how to more effectively engage governments and civil society. The consortium, which consists of approximately 35 members, maintains a staff that coordinates threat intelligence and alerts members to violent content. However, a 2024 Wired investigation highlighted failures in the group's tip-sharing database and noted that Meta had delayed a membership bid from TikTok.