Six of the nine experts on the Independent Advisory Committee for the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) resigned, citing a loss of confidence in the organization's mission. The resignations are a protest against structural changes, reportedly pushed by member tech companies with Meta at the forefront, that the experts believe will weaken independent oversight.
The proposed changes would involve tech companies selecting new committee members, who were previously elected by current members. Additionally, the committee would no longer be able to collectively assess the group's performance or make joint recommendations, a move the departing members described as turning the advisory body into "decoration and accountability theatre." GIFCT was founded by Meta, Microsoft, YouTube (Google), and the former Twitter to curb the spread of extremist content online.