Findings from a civil rights audit commissioned and released by Facebook on Wednesday detail “painful decisions” taken by the platform in the last nine months that have resulted in “real world consequences that are serious setbacks for civil rights.” The 89-page report concludes, “Facebook’s approach to civil rights remains too reactive and piecemeal.” Facebook did not immediately indicate specific steps it would take in response to the findings, but issued a statement from COO Sheryl Sandberg, saying the audit was a “really important process for our company.” (The Logic)

Talking point: The audit marks the culmination of years of civil rights organizations working with Facebook to address inequality on the platform; its release comes the day after a tense virtual meeting between the company and civil rights leaders, who blasted its executives for “failing to meet the moment.” The audit acknowledges the issues, recognizing a “seesaw of progress and setbacks,” including the platform’s recent refusal to take action against U.S. President Donald Trump’s posts that some said incited violence against protesters. Laura Murphy, the outside civil rights expert who led the audit, told CNN that the auditors “tried to lay out a game plan for the company, but really the ball’s in their court now.” The issue is playing out in Germany, as well, where authorities told Facebook on Wednesday its self-regulation methods weren’t enough to combat hate speech.