The site was forced offline after Facebook wrote to the internet service provider demanding the group's website -- realfacebookoversight.org -- be taken offline because the site was used for phishing.

In a letter sent to one of the founders of the RFOB, journalist Carole Cadwalladr, the ISP SupportNation said the website was being taken offline after Facebook complained that the site was involved in "phishing".

However not only was the site not used for phishing, it was made by a group of dozens of prominent academics, activists, lawyers, and journalists whose goal is to hold Facebook accountable in the run-up to the election next month.

Facebook's own Oversight Board, which was announced 13 months ago, will not meet for the first time until later this month, and won't consider any issues related to the election.

Facebook denied that it was responsible for the website being taken offline. “This website was automatically flagged by a vendor because it contained the word “facebook” in the domain and action was taken without consulting with us”,  a spokesperson told VICE News.

But, an email from the ISP, SupportNation, sent to the Real Facebook Oversight Board and viewed by VICE News, links to a message from the original complainant sent in the early hours of Friday morning after the website was taken offline. 

The message tells SupportNation that “notices of trademark abuse/trademark infringement were sent out in error”. The message comes from what appears to be a Facebook email address.

John Taylor, a spokesperson for Facebook’s actual Oversight Board said he had nothing to do with it and does not think it is a constructive approach.