Meta’s semi-independent oversight board issued a stinging rebuke of the company’s rules governing high-profile users, saying the system gave millions of celebrities, politicians and other influential figures improper protection from harassment and hate speech. The board said Meta’s rules for “cross-check” accounts, which give them additional layers of human review, are “stratified” and “opaque.” It also criticized the company for not being fully transparent about the system and for failing to publish the criteria for adding accounts to the program. The board recommended that Meta revise its cross-check system to better protect all users, regardless of status or influence. It also called for clearer criteria for account selection and better procedures for account holders to appeal enforcement decisions. The board’s report highlighted long-standing concerns about how Meta, formerly Facebook, treats elite users differently from regular users on its platforms.