Requests to social media companies to review or remove musical content
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.027615
I note you seek access to the following information:
I'm looking for the results of an FOI but I can't find it in the disclosure log. Would you be able to help me locate it, please?
It was sent by the Meta Oversight Board and showed that the Met made 286 requests to social media companies and streaming services to review or remove musical content from June 2021 to May 2022.
The Met press office have told me to enquire with the Disclosure team.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
We carried out a review of the request and associated data set on 9 December 2022 and this identified an error in the figures provided in our original response on 7 October 2022. The correct data set is now provided below in our updated response. We have included the figures that were sent in the previous response as requested and I have also attached this separately.
REQUEST 1:
Please provide the following:
Q1 - Details of the Metropolitan Police's policy for making requests to social media and/or streaming companies for such companies to review and/or remove certain of their online content relating to gang violence or serious youth violence on the basis of the content being or suspected to be unlawful. Please include details of the criteria followed by the Metropolitan Police to ensure that such requests reflect the Metropolitan Police’s duties to protect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression.
MPS Response -
No information is held. Each item of such material would be reviewed on a case by case basis and a criminal investigation considered if deemed to be in breach of UK legislation.
Q2 - Details of the Metropolitan Police's policy for flagging to social media and music streaming companies, concerns of the Metropolitan Police formed by itself or in co-operation with other public authorities or agencies on such matters, about online content relating to gang violence of serious youth violence where the underlying content is not alleged to be unlawful. Please include details of the criteria followed by the Metropolitan Police to ensure such indications of concern reflect the Metropolitan Police’s duties to protect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression.
MPS Response -
No information is held. The MPS use specialist knowledge and expertise to identify harmful content. Officers skilled in this area can provide the necessary understanding of the context and language used in order for platforms to make an informed decision. The MPS ask social media platforms to take a robust & rapid approach to removing content which is flagged as being harmful i.e. likely to provoke/cause real-life violence.
REQUEST 2:
For the purpose of this request, please read “Drill music” as including subgenres, and please read “Meta platforms” as Facebook and Instagram.
Please provide the following:
Q3 - How many requests did the Metropolitan Police make to social media and streaming companies asking for the removal and/or review of content involving "Drill music" ("Drill music content"), from the 1 June 2021 to 31 of May 2022?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 286
Updated (correct data): 992
Q4 - Of the number of requests in question 3 above, how many resulted in Drill music content being removed from the relevant platforms?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 255
Updated (correct data): 879
Q5 - How many requests did the Metropolitan Police make to Meta (formerly, Facebook) asking for Meta to remove and/or review Drill music content on Meta platforms, from the 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 21
Updated (correct data): 28
Q6 - Of the number of requests in question 5 above, how many resulted in Meta removing Drill music content from Meta platforms?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 14
Updated (correct data): 24
Q7 - How many requests did the Metropolitan Police make to Meta asking it to remove and/or review content involving music genres other than Drill music on Meta platforms, from the 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 0
Updated (correct data): 0
Q8 - How many requests did the Metropolitan Police make to other social media and streaming companies asking those companies to remove and/or review content involving music genres other than Drill music from their platforms, from the 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022?
MPS Response -
Response provided on 07/10/2022: 0
Updated (correct data): 0
REQUEST 3:
In the event that the Metropolitan Police's decision is not to provide us with all of the information in Requests 1 and 2, please indicate against each question concerned, whether this is because the information is not held by the Metropolitan Police or a third party on its behalf, or because it is considered by the Metropolitan Police to be exempt from disclosure and if so, indicate the specific exemption relied on.
MPS Response -
This is already covered in 1 & 2