Facebook is no stranger to content moderation controversies around the world, but perhaps one of the most serious occurred in 2018, when the United Nations ruled that the social media giant played a key role in spreading hate speech that incited violence in the country of Myanmar. And now, a group of refugees are suing the company for $150 billion for not acting fast enough to address the issue.

According to the suit, Facebook failed to invest in moderators and fact checkers who had adequate knowledge of the situation on the ground in the country. It also alleges that Facebook’s algorithms amplified hate speech and that the company failed to take “appropriate and timely action” once it realized what was going on.

“A report commissioned by Facebook concluded that it ‘[wasn’t] doing enough to help prevent [its] platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence’; Facebook executives have made similar public admissions,” the law firm representing the refugees wrote in a statement. “Despite Facebook’s acknowledgement of its role in such real-world harms and its proclaimed position as a positive force in the world, no meaningful compensation has been offered to any survivor.”

This will be an extremely difficult legal case to prove, but it could force Facebook to publicly reveal more about what it knew about the crisis in Myanmar. And when it comes to these sensitive issues, more transparency is always a good thing.

Recommended Resources

The Choice of Tech Experts Worldwide. Try 90 days free of Bitdefender and experience the highest level of digital safety.

Surf the web truly incognito. Try Bitdefender Premium VPN, the ultra-fast VPN that keeps your online identity and activities safe from hackers, ISPs and snoops.

System Mechanic 14 – Make your computer run like new. Winner of 200+ Editor’s Choice awards!