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Oversight board overturns four Facebook removals in first rulings

The independent Facebook Oversight Board overturned four decisions by Facebook to remove content, the first rulings made by the entity since it was formed.

The board was created in October to assess the cases of Facebook and Instagram users who argue their content has been wrongly removed from those social media platforms.

In one of its rulings based on a case in the U.S., the board overturned Facebook's decision to remove a "Memory" post featuring an incorrectly attributed quote by Nazi minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels, in an attempt to compare to the Trump administration.

"Reviewing the case, the Board found that the quote did not support the Nazi party’s ideology or the regime’s acts of hate and violence," reads a statement from the board explaining the ruling. "Comments on the post from the user’s friends supported the user’s claim that they sought to compare the presidency of Donald Trump to the Nazi regime."

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The oversight board arose from Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's idea to have another check on the social networks' moderation processes.

The board also advised Facebook make its rules more clear in determining when a post should be removed.

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Other overturned removals by the board include a post from Brazil bringing awareness to breast cancer symptoms taken down for violating rules against nudity.

One of its biggest cases is yet to come. The board revealed earlier this month it will review Facebook's decision to indefinitely suspend former President Donald Trump from Facebook and Instagram following the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Since October, more than 150,000 cases have been appealed to the board.

Contributing: Mike Snider

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Facebook Oversight Board overturns 4 decisions in first rulings