Oversight panel rebukes Facebook, will review VIP system

Facebook has faced a storm of criticism over the past month after former employee Frances Haugen leaked internal studies showing the company knew of potential harm stoked by its sites, prompting US lawmakers' to renew a push for regulation. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Facebook's oversight panel announced Thursday a probe of the company's system to reportedly exempt high-profile users from its own rules, accusing the embattled social media giant of a lack of transparency.

A series of damning Wall Street Journal stories driven by a whistleblower's leaks have drawn outrage and fresh lawmaker scrutiny of Facebook's impact on mental health but also how it treats celebrities.