Facebook Faces $150B Lawsuit From Rohingya Refugees For Amplifying Hate
Image ID 41989971 © via Kianlin | Dreamstime.com
Rohingya refugees have sued Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for over US$150 billion following allegations that the company failed to put a stop to hateful posts that incited violence against the Muslim ethnic group residing in Myanmar.
The group’s lawyers officially filed a class-action lawsuit in California this week, claiming that the advent of Facebook in the country aided the spread of hate speech and misinformation that “amounted to a substantial cause, and eventual perpetuation of, the Rohingya genocide.”
This claim is being filed on behalf of anyone worldwide who had suffered from the violence, or had a relative who died from the tragedy. Facebook’s part in the matter was first brought to light back in 2018, when United Nations’ human rights experts said that the platform had played a role in inciting attacks against the Rohingya people.
The lawsuit alleged the social media app’s algorithms had amplified hate speech targeting the ethnic minority, and that the company failed to hire moderators and fact-checkers who understood the political landscape to better assess which posts should be taken down.
“The resulting Facebook-fueled anti-Rohingya sentiment motivated and enabled the military government of Myanmar to engage in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya,” said the lawsuit.
According to the Associated Press, via USA Today, lawyers in the UK have issued notice of their intention to follow up with a similar lawsuit regarding the matter.
This certainly isn’t the first legal melee Facebook has been at the center of, with one whistleblower testifying before authorities on how its founders would often choose “profits over users’ safety.”
It’s unclear if Meta will face repercussions over its involvement in the attacks against the Rohingya people, though the refugees and loved ones who survived the violence hope to be able to receive some compensation for their suffering.
[via Associated Press and USA Today, cover image via Kianlin | Dreamstime.com]
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