The Oversight Board – an independent body created to guide content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram – faced the high-stakes task of building credibility, trust, and visibility in a globally polarised debate around online speech. Despite Meta’s backing, the Board needed to demonstrate its independence, shape public perception, and engage meaningfully with a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, media, and its own diverse 40-member leadership. The challenge was intensified by the political sensitivity of content moderation, and the need to navigate different regulatory expectations across the EU, UK, and US.

H/Advisors developed and executed a cross-market communications and public affairs strategy in the US and EU. We launched the Board’s brand with strategic messaging shaped by in-depth global polling and elite stakeholder interviews. The team delivered a coordinated media plan across the EU, UK, and US while creating high-impact “tentpole” moments around major case rulings and policy announcements. At a local level, teams in Ireland, France, Germany, Spain and the UK provided rapid-response capabilities to engage with media narratives and address critical feedback in real time.

The Oversight Board quickly gained international recognition as a serious and credible authority on digital speech. We secured extensive coverage in outlets including Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, The Times, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal, ensuring the Board’s position was consistently included in key debates. Its messaging now resonates with policymakers and media across jurisdictions, and it is regarded as a leading, independent voice in the evolving regulation of online platforms – well-positioned to shape the global conversation amid growing scrutiny of Big Tech.